Eliza  B.Chase 


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Transcontinental 
Sketches 


Legends,  Lyrics  and  Romance.-;  Gleaned 
on  Vacation  Tours  in  Norrh^^astcm  anrl 
Middle   Canada  and  the  Pacific  States 


-BY- 


ELIZA  B.   C^HASE 

.UTHOR  OP   "Over  the   Border," 
In  Quest  of  the  Quaint,"  Etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 

FROM   PENCIL  AND   WATER-COLOR 
DRAWINGS  BY  THE   WRITER 


"With  an  eye  to  see 
Life's  sunniest  side,  and  with  a  heart  to  take 
Its  chances  all  as  Godsends." — J.  G.  Whittier 


THE   JOHN    C.    WINSTON    COMPANY 

PHILADELPHIA 


F10I5 

C5 


Copyright  1909,  by 
The  John  C.  Winston  Co. 


"f.M.  S." 

In  memocB  ot 

Helen 

Companion  in  scenes  described. 


.69 


CONTENTS 

PAOK 
HSEOK    ISLAN-D 11 

The  Burning  Ship  of  Heron  Island 31 

Mabee-ah        77 

The  Mysterious  Light  of  Cap  Noir 95 

The  Treacherous  Friend         97 

A  Silhouette 117 

Le  Feu  des  Roussi 133 

Demon-  and  Pity-us 145 

The  Legend  of  Katsepion 150 

Le  G6nie  de  L'lle  Perc6 158 

Veuve  Champromis 175 

The  Titan's  Bride 182 

Statistics  of  the  Saguenay 191 

"Lazy  Boolmokg" 199 

Mont  Blagouse 214 

ROCKFOBT         231 

The  Canadian  Boat  Song 258 

In  Keewaydin's  Realm 267 

Tchi-bao-non-ing,  or  Chemaunaning 271 

Nenawbozhoo 277 

Legend  of  Manitoulin 284 

Legends  of  Nipissing 290 

Regis's  Story 294 

Across  the  Plains SOI 

Click 303 

The  Shadow 307 

The  Lure  of  the  Heights 311 

V 


VI  CONTENTS 

PAGH 

Forward        317 

Due  West 325 

A  Tale  of  a  Tub 326 

Foreign  Despatches 328 

Swastika 335 

The  Banished  Prince 338 

Curupira 341 

Yara 342 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Les  Trois  Amis  Islets,  off  Bo>r  Ami  Poikt,  N.  B.  Frontispiece 

The  Gate  of  Fossil  Cove 40 

The  Coxspirators 58 

General  Romanoze 61 

The  Laughing  Faun  .     ... 65 

Dalhousie,  N.  B.,  and  Restigouche  River 78 

Mt.  Tracadiegache,  from  Charlo  Bar,  N.  B 90 

Mt.  Tracadiegache,  P.  Q.,  Cap  Marie  in  the  Distance  .  105 
Mt.  Tracadiegache,  from  Cascapedia  River,  P.  Q.  .  .  .  106 
Parrsboro  Pier,  Basin  of  Minas,  Bay  of  Fundy  .  .  .  124 
Cape  Split,  Cap  D'or,  Cape  Sharp,  Bay  of  Fundy  -.     .      .  139 

The  Old  Woman  of  York  Cliff,  Me 149 

Le  Rocher  Perc£,  p.  Q 153 

Paspebiac,  p.  Q 161 

A  French  Canadian  Farm,  on  the.  Mountain  Side,  Fifty 

Miles  Below  Quebec 165 

St.  Cecile  du  Bic 175 

A  French  Canadian  Inn 176 

Islands  of  Bic  Harbor 191 

Isle  aux  Coudres,  Mont  St.  Antoine 201 

A  Wayside  Reminder 206 

Entrance  to  Bay  St.  Paul 209 

Le  Lac  du  Penitent  and  Mt.  Eboulements  from  Mont 

Blagouse 217 

Our  Lady  of  the  Clouds 222 

From  the  Ramparts  Looking  Down  the  St.  Lawrence  .  229 

Spectators  on  the  Terrace,  Quebec 232 

A  Collier 243 

SiLLERY  Cove,  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  Above  Quebec     .     .  245 

The  Lions  of  Quebec 246 

Belfry  of  Ursuline's  Chapel,  Quebec      .     .      .     .     .     .  247 

vii 


Tiii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAQB 

A  Cai^chb 953 

Sabots 954 

"  SouLiEBS  Sauvages  "    .      , 254 

Antique   Haycart 272 

Lai:e  Huron  Fishing  Boats 274 

Cross  in  "  Le  Champ  des  Mobts  " 281 

A  Wayside  Watering  Trough :      .      .      .  283 

An  Antique  "  Quatre  Roux  " 289 

The  Lure  of  the  Heights 310 

Indian  Encampment 317 

An  Out-door  Oven  in  the  Wilds 326 

Swastika  Emblems 335 


SONGS  AND  MUSIC 

PAGE 

"Le  Rossignol,*'  —  Music 23 

Words,  French  and  English 24 

"  Les  Yeux  Bleus,"  —  Music 100 

Words,  French  and  English 101 

"  AuKAi-JE  Nanette  ?  "  —  Music 132 

Words,  French  and  English 133 

"  Les  Beaux  Yeaux,"  —  Music 169 

Words,  French  and  English 170 

"Les  Perles  et  les  ^toiles,"  —  Music      ......  224 

Words,  English 224,225 

«  CECILIA,"  —  Music 225 

Words,  French  and  English 226, 227 

Canadian  Boat  Song  —  Music 261 

Words,  French  and  English 262,263 

"  Brise  des  Nuits,"  —  Music 322 

Words,  French 324 


IX 


TRANSCONTINENTAL 
SKETCHES 

HERON  ISLAND 

THE  morning  train  on  the  I.  C.  R.  W.,  in  medi- 
tative and  desultory  manner,  was  meandering 
along, —  not  more  than  one  hour  behind  time, 
as  yet, —  and  at  long  intervals,  seemingly  aroused 
from  abstraction,  it  moderated  its  lagging  pace  at  a 
scattered  hamlet  in  the  wilderness.  Only  long 
stretches  of  wildest,  dreariest  lands  were  visible,  and 
from  these  desolate  tracts  the  forests  had  been 
stripped,  leaving  scenes  of  such  loneliness  as  made 
one  feel  melancholy  to  contemplate.  Swamps  ap- 
peared now  and  then,  and,  scattered  about,  like  sen- 
tinels amid  the  desolation,  were  gaunt  and  crooked 
trees,  whitened  by  frost  and  blackened  by  fire;  a 
ghastly  and  ghostly  company.^  This  railway,  which 
might  have  been  cut  through  more  directly  from 
Maine,  made  a  detour  of  over  six  hundred  miles  in 
order  that  the  line  should  be  all  upon  Canadian  soil. 


1  Although  New  Brunswick  has  vast  tracts  of  arable  land, 
lumbering  and  ship-building  were  the  main  interests,  until 
comparatively  recently,  when  farming  is  becoming  success- 
ful; creameries  and  cheese  factories  have  been  established,  and 
these  products  are  exported  to  England. 
11 


12      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

in  case  of  trouble  with  the  United  States.  The  fact 
that  this  hne  is  supported  by  the  Canadian  govern- 
ment, and  never  paid  a  dividend,  caused  no  surprise 
to  two  of  the  passengers;  while  most  of  the  others, 
apparently  having  fallen  into  the  same  mood  as  the 
'train,v- it|?me ;  teing  no  object  to  either, —  were 
whaling  away  the  hours  in  sleep. 

iDr.  Laurier,'.of  Quebec,  familiar  with  this  long- 
drawn-out  selvage  of  New  Brunswick,  appeared  to  be 
buried  in  his  book;  but  when  the  train,  with  great 
clanking  of  chains,  shrieking  of  wheels,  and  a  jar 
that  set  the  spinal  marrow  quivering,  shuddered  into 
silence,  a  sweet-toned  voice  caught  his  ear.  His  book 
was  dropped  as  his  eye  was  attracted  by  vast  piles 
of  lumber,  evidently  to  be  added  to  the  freightage 
of  the  train. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  a  verse  of  the  64th  Psalm 
would  be  applicable  to  this  region :  '  A  man  was  fa- 
mous according  as  he  had  lifted  up  axes  upon  the 
thick  trees ; '  "  said  the  gentle  feminine  tones ;  to 
which  another  voice  replied ;  "  Yes,  and  you  natu- 
rally, are  reminded  of  something  serious,  while  I, 
giddy  thing,  was  just  thinking,  as  we  passed  those 
little  hamlets,  of  a  squib  in  Fliegende  Blatter^  where 
a  resident  of  a  most  prosaic  settlement  questions  a 
visitor:  '  Well,  how  do  you  like  our  town?  '  to  which 
the  stranger  replies,  '  Very  nice  place.  Just  consider 
that  there  are  twenty-two  trains  on  which  you  can 
leave  it,  daily.'  " 

"  Two  without  the  twenty  here,  I  should  think," 


HERON  ISLAND  13 

said  the  first  speaker,  "  even  if  the  inhabitants  could 
muster  up  energy  enough  to  think  of  getting  away." 

Dr.  Laurier,  aroused  by  these  voices,  and  finding 
the  agreeable  personalities  thereunto  belonging  in 
rather  close  proximity,  began,  from  force  of  habit, 
to  diagnose  this  case,  as  he  studied  the  two  women 
occupying  the  opposite  seat. 

"  Black,  glossy  hair,  oHve  complexion,  brilliant 
black  eyes;  black  costume;  evidently  a  widow,  and 
the  elder  but  livelier  of  the  two.  The  other,  fresh 
bright  complexion,  brown  hair,  soft  ditto  eyes,  sedate 
manner;  an  interesting  pair;  refined  in  appearance; 
—  Americans,  without  doubt,  on  a  summer  tour,"  he 
soliloquized. 

Just  at  this  point  the  conductor  strolled  through 
the  train,  and  sat  down  on  the  arm  of  Dr.  Laurier's 
seat,  saying,  "  Doctor,  you  was  going  to  stop  over  at 
the  new  'otel  on  the  Bay,  wasn't  you?  "  The  gentle- 
man replied  in  the  affirmative,  whereupon  he  of  the 
uniform  and  air  of  owning  as  well  as  running  the 
train,  continued :  "  Well,  there's  a  gorgeous  state  of 
things  there;  regular  shindy,  don't  ye  know!  It's 
busted  up,  clean  gone  to  smash,  servants  cut  in  a 
body.  Oh,  there's  bean  a  pretty  mess  there.  You'll 
find  yerself  rother  in  a  box  d'ye  know?  Wot'll  ye 
do  about  it  —  A  ?  "  His  discourse  was  curiously 
made  up  of  Yankee  slang  and  provincial  pronuncia- 
tion, interlarded  with  the  interjection  "Eh!"  invari- 
ably pronounced  like  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet. 

"  So?     You  then  speak  of  Chateau  Carton?  "  said 


14      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Dr.  Laurier,  whose  face  had  grown  rather  long  at 
this  information.  Consternation  was  depicted  also 
on  the  countenance  of  his  fair  neighbors,  who  looked 
at  each  other  in  dismay  as  they  listened  to  the  con- 
ductor's statements.  That  official  noticed  this,  and 
suddenly  addressed  them :  "  Oh,  you're  billed  for 
D'loosey  too,  and  I  was  just  atellin'  Dr.  Lorry  wot  a 
high  old  time  there  is  there,  and  now,  me  grashus, 
wot'll  you  do?  "  enjoying  the  consternation  of  his 
auditors.  Just  then  the  train  shook  itself  into  ac- 
tion, moved  on  again,  and  the  conductor  sauntered 
off  to  the  door  of  the  car;  while  the  travelers  thus 
unceremoniously  introduced  naturally  dropped  into 
conversation.  Deciding  that  they  would  stop  at 
Dalhousie,  despite  the  unfavorable  report  from  that 
pretty  village,  the  gentleman,  with  the  gallantry  of 
his  race,  seemed  quite  as  a  matter  of  course  to  as- 
sume the  attitude  of  cavalier  and  protector  to  the 
two  ladies  who  had  found  themselves  plunged  into 
such  a  dilemma. 

In  the  course  of  conversation  on  various  topics, 
his  politely-hinted  surprise  at  their  choice  of  locality 
for  a  summering  elicited  from  Mrs.  Allston  the  an- 
swer :  "  It  must  have  been  owing  to  our  stay  at 
Marblehead  Neck  last  summer,  and  our  studies  of  the 
old  town  of  noted  fishermen,  whose  favorite  ground 
—  if  one  might  so  speak  of  water  —  is  the  Bay 
Chaleur.  Their  old  skippers'  yarns  were  full  of  al- 
luring bits  and  scraps  of  legend,  in  which  the  phan- 
tom ship  and  other  ghostly  spectacles  figure  largely." 


HERON  ISLAND  15 

"  But  yes,"  said  Doctor  Laurier,  "  and  have  not  I 
read  a  poem  by  your  Huit-i-eh,  of  la  Bale  des  Cha- 
leurs,  and  a  cruel  Capitaine  who  '  sailed  away  from 
a  sinking  ship  ?  '  " 

"  Oh,  you  mean  Skipper  Ireson,"  said  Mrs.  Alls- 
ton,  who  had  not  at  once  recognized  the  Quaker  poet 
in  French ;  "  I  can  tell  you  a  bit  about  that  historical 
incident,  as  it  was  told  to  me  by  one  who  was  born 
in  the  quaint  town.  The  facts  of  the  case,  my  in- 
formant said,  were,  that  Ireson's  cruise  had  been 
most  unfortunate,  so  they  would  not  have  a  one- 
fourth  '  fare,'  and  a  succession  of  unusually  severe 
storms  had  almost  disheartened  them.  The  Skipper 
was  utterly  worn  out  from  hard  and  long-continued 
watches  when  the  vessel  in  distress  was  sighted,  yet 
gave  orders  to  his  men  to  change  their  course  and 
steer  for  the  other  schooner,  hoping  to  be  of  as- 
sistance by  daybreak.  The  men  took  advantage  of 
the  shipmaster  at  the  change  of  the  watch,  and  dis- 
regarded his  injunctions.  After  the  heavy  sleep  of 
exhaustion,  when  Ireson  came  on  deck,  at  dawn,  he 
was  amazed  to  discover  that  they  were  still  on  the 
homeward  track,  and  the  disabled  vessel  out  of  sight. 

"  Arriving  at  the  old  town,  it  was  discovered  that 
fishermen  reaching  there  in  advance  had  reported  the 
base  desertion.  To  exculpate  themselves,  Ireson's 
men  —  who  were  '  a  bad  lot ' —  threw  the  blame  upon 
their  master,  and  the  people  of  the  town,  hot-headed 
and  impulsive,  wTeaked  summary  vengeance.  This 
their  descendants  bitterly  regret,  and  would  do  any- 


16      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

thing  in  their  power  to  wipe  the  stain  from  the  mem- 
ory of  the  poor  man  who  was  so  sorely  wronged. 
My  informant  could  remember  seeing  Ireson,  not  so 
very  many  years  ago,  prematurely  aged,  and  bent  as 
with  a  heavy  burden,  shrinking  from  his  fellow-men 
as  if  branded  with  an  ineffaceable  stigma.  His  man- 
ner was  gentle  and  quiet,  his  eyes  always  cast  upon 
the  ground,  while  his  voice  was  low,  with  a  melan- 
choly cadence.  In  after  years  the  truth  of  the  story 
was  revealed  by  the  statements  of  Ireson's  cabin  boy, 
who  had  kept  silence  in  fear  of  the  vengeance  of  the 
skipper's  men.  They  at  last  had  wandered  off  to 
other  ports ;  but  the  crushed  man  never  attempted  to 
right  himself,  and  no  doubt  his  life  was  shortened 
by  the  effects  of  the  terrible  treatment  which  he  had 
received." 

The  gentle  voice  of  Kate  Newton  took  up  the 
thread  of  the  subject,  saying:  "No  doubt  our  be- 
loved poet,  whose  pen  was  ever  fire-tipped  in  the 
cause  of  justice,  had  not  heard  this  side  of  the  story. 
He  saw  its  dramatic  aspect,  and  probably  supposed 
that  the  hardy  and  hasty  fisher-folk  were  only  stand- 
ing up  fairly  to  right  a  wrong  to  their  clan,  in  the 
punishment  of  the  skipper.  The  people  of  Marble- 
head  were  always  noted  for  their  impulsiveness,  and 
were  just  as  ready  to  respond  with  almost  extrava- 
gant acts  of  generosity  when  want  or  suffering  ap- 
pealed to  them.  It  was  fishermen  from  that  quaint 
port  who  rowed  the  boat  in  which  Washington  crossed 
the  Delaware  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  the  first 


HERON  ISLAND  17 

company  of  volunteers  recruited  in  the  Rebellion 
were  from  that  old  City  of  the  Sea." 

In  the  mellow  light  of  sunset  Chateau  Carton,  the 
great  unfinished  barrack,  put  on  an  air  of  state,  and 
one  might  say  even  wore  an  aspect  of  comfort  and 
repose ;  —  such  was  the  glamor  of  that  softened  light 
when  the  weary  travelers  set  foot  within  the  bare 
walls  of  that  hostelry  on  the  uppermost  rim  of  New 
Brunswick,  nearly  three  hundred  miles  north  of  St. 
John,  their  immediate  decision  being  that  nothing 
short  of  desperation  and  starvation  should  drive 
them  from  so  beautiful  a  spot. 

A  dreamland  picture  was  presented  to  the  view,  so 
utterly  restful  and  soothing  one  would  naturally  re- 
call it  ever  after  in  the  tender  light  and  lengthened 
shadows  of  the  later  hours  of  day.  Apparently  but 
a  stone's  throw  from  the  shore  lay  the  three  rocky 
and  tree-crested  islets, —  Les  Trois  Amis, —  every 
stone  and  branch  upon  them  reflected  in  the  mirror- 
like water,  on  which  their  symmetrical  masses  seemed 
to  rest  like  that  wonder  of  one's  childhood,  the  float- 
ing islands  of  the  East.  Far  away  to  the  right 
stretched  the  great  curve  of  the  Bay,  bounded  by  the 
low  shores  of  New  Brunswick ;  in  the  distance  Heron 
Island  appeared  like  a  cape  reaching  out  as  if  to 
grasp  in  fraternal  greeting  Megouacha  Point,  on 
the  shore  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Restigouche  River.  Then  that  grand  mountain- 
guarded  river! — 'to  say  that  it  met  the  expectations 
of  the  travelers  is  saying  a  great  deal,  for  in  imagina- 


18      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

tlon  they  had  been  drawing  marvelous  pictures  of 
that  famous  salmon  stream  of  Canada. 

Fortunately  the  unromantic  guests  of  the  hotel 
were  engaged  in  discussing  the  evening  repast,  and 
therefore  invisible  to  the  eyes  of  the  new  arrivals, 
and  only  the  quiet  tones  of  Kate  Newton  could  be 
heard  without  any  sense  of  jarring  upon  the  ex- 
quisite picture. 

"  I  shall  christen  it  Le  Pays  d'Apres-Midi.  The 
musically  suggestive  French  names  suit  my  fancy  in 
this  realm  of  romance." 

This  poetically-inclined  person  was  summarily 
dropped  from  her  airy  flights  of  fancy  upon  the 
hard  facts  of  prose  and  stern  realities  when  the  ladies 
inspected  their  room,  which  contained  considerably 
less  than  absolute  necessities;  and  Mrs.  Allston,  with 
a  brave  attempt  at  Mark  Tapley-ish  cheerfulness, 
enumerated  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand  the  pieces  of 
furniture.  Although  even  her  bright  face  grew 
rather  lugubrious  on  beholding  the  one  blanket  pro- 
vided for  each  bed,  traveling  shawls  were  merrily 
brought  into  use,  and  the  fair  dames  bravely  resolved 
to  make  the  best  of  everything. 

Deliciously  dreamy  days  slipped  b}^,  each  more 
beautiful  than  its  predecessor,  and  the  sisters  endured 
with  fortitude  the  hardships  inflicted  by  an  amaz- 
ingly curt  bill  of  fare,  and  even  of  days  in  which 
one  meal  was  skipped  entirely,  owing  to  a  whim  of 
the  tyrant  of  the  kRchen,  who  was  a  Tartar;  but 
their    equanimity    could    be    explained    by    frequent 


HERON  ISLAND  19 

foraging  expeditions  to  the  village  on  the  part  of 
the  gallant  Doctor  Laurier,  who  enveloped  them  in 
an  atmosphere  of  delicate  attention.  Fathers  of 
families,  taking  the  hint  from  the  Frenchman's  suc- 
cess, also  betook  themselves  to  the  village  for  articles 
of  which  there  was  sad  dearth  and  dire  need  among 
their  swarming  urchins;  the  Quebec  physician  finally 
coming  out  in  a  blaze  of  glory  after  triumphantly 
securing  blankets  from  what  he  called  the  "  maga- 
zines "  of  that  pretty  hamlet.  Forays  were  made 
into  unoccupied  rooms,  and  articles  of  furniture  ap- 
propriated therefrom,  and  a  spirit  of  Bohemianism 
pervaded  the  establishment,  the  guests  of  which 
seemed  determined  to  look  upon  the  whole  experience 
in  the  light  of  a  huge  joke.  The  railway  company 
had  taken  the  house  in  hand,  but  though  they  offered 
free  transport  to  any  who  wished  to  leave,  found  the 
guests  singularly  obtuse  and  inappreciative  of  such 
advantages;  so  it  seemed  that  even  unpoetic  souls 
were  witched  by  the  charming  spot. 

At  five  oclock  one  morning  the  sisters  were  sud- 
denly aroused  by  the  sound  of  angry  voices  beneath 
their  windows.  They  listened  without  compunction 
to  the  tempest,  expecting  nothing  less  than  a  col- 
lapse of  the  whole  concern  in  consequence  of  this  hur- 
ricane, in  which  Gallic  and  Hibernian  epithets  were 
recklessly  hurled  back  and  forth.  On  cautiously  ap- 
proaching the  windows,  to  their  startled  eyes  ap- 
peared the  Queen  of  the  Culinary,  with  arms  a-kimbo, 
flushed  face,  unkempt  hair  and  ponderous  body  fairly 


20      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

quivering  with  wrath;  while  from  the  door,  literally, 
fired  out  like  a  bomb  from  a  catapult,  flew  the  pep- 
pery little  manager  of  the  hostelry,  who,  although 
combining  in  his  person  the  hot  blood  of  Gaul  and 
Spain,  was  unable  to  cope  with  this  one  Celt,  who 
routed  him  ignominiously. 

"  Git  out  o'  this  in  liss'n  a  shake  o'  a  cow's  tail, 
ye  miserable  shpalpeen!  An'  is  it  yoUy  ye  owdashus 
shpoilt  image  av  a  man,  ye  id  jut,  that  lukes  ez  black 
as  me  shtove-poipe,  ye  pumishus  gossoon,  that  wud 
be  afther  darin,  to  koom  in  me  kitchen  an'  tell  me 
my  bizniz?  An'  its  meself  that  furgits  more  nor  ye 
iver  knew  in  al'  yer  borrun  dez,  ye  voile  pickcher  uv 
a  f ule  that  ye  ar ! "  Dr.  Laurier,  gazing  from  his 
window,  mentally  ejaculated,  "Tartar  emetic!"  as 
he  saw  the  small,  dark  man  shoot  into  the  office,  leav- 
ing behind  him  a  blue  streak  of  "  Carambas,  Car- 
ahos,  Sacres,  Diabolos,"  and  other  polyglot  oaths. 

Not  a  very  auspicious  opening  of  the  morning  this, 
and  when  the  ladies  at  breakfast  learned  that  even 
the  staff  of  life  (traveling  on  a  free  pass  and  per 
barrel  from  Moncton)  had  rebelled  and  grown  sour 
that  day,  Mrs.  Allston,  determined  to  keep  up  a 
semblance  at  least  of  cheerfulness,  was  ready  for  the 
occasion,  and  threw  at  her  sister  a  Chinese  proverb: 
"  A  good  cook  is  the  father  of  happy  dreams,  but 
nightmares  sit  on  a  poor  table ;  "  to  which  bonnie 
Kate  smilingly  retorted  with  another:  "  The  first 
cook  was  the  father  of  civilization."  Her  sister  con- 
tinued :  "  No  saint  on  an  empty  stomach,"  and  Dr. 


HERON  ISLAND  21 

Laurier  capped  this  with :  "  Mieux  la  realite  que  Pin- 
certitude,"  adding,  "  Mesdames,  in  my  position  of 
medical  adviser,  I  suggest  change  of  air  and  scene, 
and  propose  a  day's  trip  to  Megouacha  Point  as  a 
refuge  from  this  famine-threatened  place.  There 
you  shall  at  least  regale  yourselves  on  milk,  butter 
and  eggs,  with  a  possibility  of  honey  to  sweeten  ex- 
istence; and  I  have  in  Fossil  Cove  discovered  a  mar- 
iner, who  has  a  boat  the  most  fine  possible." 

Such  a  prescription  being  irresistible,  the  physi- 
cian carried  the  day,  and  in  brief  space  of  time  Skip- 
per Barstow, — "  a  grand  old  Triton,"  as  Kate  men- 
tally dubbed  him, —  assisted  the  ladies  into  his  neat 
and  saucy  craft.  The  Bay,  all  steely  blue,  was  cov- 
ered with  flashing  whitecaps;  light  clouds  were  hur- 
rying across  the  sky,  causing  strangely-shaped  shad- 
ows to  flit  and  chase  each  other  over  the  hills,  like 
belated  spectres  fleeing  the  light  of  day  and  hasten- 
ing to  some  far-distant  hiding-place.  In  royal  sap- 
phire the  monarch  Tracadiegache  marshaled  his 
forces, —  the  superb  chain  of  mountains  which  fol- 
low the  shore  of  the  river  and  pursue  their  grand 
march  into  the  interior,  rolling  in  beautifully-rounded 
outlines  to  the  horizon;  while  even  the  tall  chimney 
of  the  commonplace  saw-mill  on  the  river  brink  grace- 
fully waved  its  plume  of  smoke  and  became  an  in- 
teresting accent  in  the  landscape. 

Kate  Newton,  with  an  eye  to  the  poetic  and  pic- 
turesque, was  quite  charmed  with  the  Captain,  as  she 
called  John  Barstow,  whose  fine  open  countenance. 


g^       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

although  somewhat  florid  from  a  long  seafaring  life, 
was  crowned  and  softened  by  thick  snowy  hair.  She 
felt  sure  it  was  "  a  face  with  a  story  to  tell,"  and 
that  he  was  no  common  tar,  while  the  lively  and  ro- 
mantically-incHned  Mrs.  Allston  began  to  wonder  if 
here  would  not  prove  to  be  a  mine  of  legend.  There- 
upon that  wily  person,  making  up  to  the  old  salt  in 
the  most  engaging  manner,  inquired  if  there  were  not 
legends  connected  with  the  Bay  and  its  capes  and 
islands.  John  the  hale  and  hearty,  chivalrous  as  a 
knight  of  old,  was  naturally  flattered,  and  fell  into 
the  trap  readily.  Noticing  that  his  fair  passengers' 
gaze  was  directed  towards  Heron  Island  he  began : 

"  I  wonder  that  you've  not  been  out  there.  Old 
Tom  Naboab,  the  Indian  in  the  village,  would  have 
taken  you  in  his  canoe,  if  you  got  on  the  right  side 
of  him  or  found  him  in  good  humor.  Old  Tom's 
not  very  aged,  but  deaf's  a  post,  and  the  boys  of  the 
village  would  tell  ye  you'd  be  obliged  to  shout  till 
the  top  o'  your  head  is  like  to  come  off^  to  make  him 
'  comprestand,'  as  he  says,  what  point  you're  steering 
for.  Well,  Tom  says  you  must  go  to  Heron  Island 
at  night,  and  alone,  too ;  then  after  placing  thirteen 
skulls  in  a  circle,  each  with  a  burning  candle  in  it, 
proceed  to  dig  till  you  come  to  a  big  red  hot  box 
which  is  full  of  Spanish  money.  You  musn't  speak, 
or  touch  it  with  anything  but  the  hands ;  if  you  dis- 
obey such  directions,  Tom  says,  '  Old  Red  Horn 
come  up  and  catch  you,  and  box  go  down,  down, 
down  to   be  lost '  ! "     Kate  remarked,  "  I've  heard 


HERON  ISLAND 


%S 


both  of  his  voracity  and  veracity;  his  word  Is  to  be 
re-lled  on  because  he  hes  and  lies-  again.  Probably  it 
was  not  here  that  the  expression  '  Honest  Injun ' 
originated." 

LE  ROSSIGNOL- 


$ 


^ 


^S 


:p=ic 


1.  En  -  fin  dessous  Torn  -  brage        Un  tendre    rossig- 
1.  At  twilight,  'neath  the  shade  so  dark,  There  comes  a  nightin- 


3 


^^ 


nol,  Vient  d'arreter  son  vole  son  vole.  Tu  peux  entendre 
gale,   A  tender,  tender  nightingale.  He  rests  his  wing  from 


i 


&t 


^m 


^ 


son  l^magel    Ta  peux  en  -  ten  -  dre  son  ramage,  Mais 
wear-y  flight  And  sweetly    warbles,  ah,  then  hark  1  There 


I 


i# 


m 


m 


^ 


:^ 


V-^- 


ne  fais  pas  de  bruit  de  broit  L'oiseau    e'en  fuit  s'en  fuit. 
as  the  stars  illome  the  night,  His  song  floats  to  the  vale. 

The  strangers  saw  why  Megouacha  wore  such  a 
vivid  mantle  of  velvet,  as  it  proved  to  be  no  ordinary 
turf,  but  waving  grain,  the  whole  farm  being  a 
model  of  skilful  cultivation  and  management.  Dur- 
ing their  call  at  the  farmhouse,  engaging  Kate  in- 
duced a  youthful  scion  of  the  family  to  bring  out  a 
violin  which  he  had  made, —  a  very  creditable  piece 
of  work, —  and  that  beguiling  young  person  eagerly 
advised  him  to  go  on  and  attain  perfection;  remem- 


£4      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

bering  that  almost  anyone  could  manipulate  a  fiddle, 
but  only  one  in  thousands  could  play  a  violin.  From 
this  youthful  musician  she  obtained  a  pleasing  sou- 
venir of  the  visit,  in  an  ancient  French  chanson, 
handed  down  from  early  settlers  who  had  brought 
it  from  la  belle  France. 

LE  ROSSIGNOL. 

Enfin  dessous  Pombrage 

Un  tendre  rossignol 

Vieut  d'arreter  son  vol. 

Tu  peux  entendre  son  ramage 

Tu  peux  entendre  son  ramage 

Mais  ne  fais  pas  de  bruit  de  bruit 

L'oiseau  s'enfuit  s'enfuit. 

II  est  vif  et  volage 

Si  tu  vas  I'effaroucher 

(Le  tendre  tendre  rossignol) 

Heureux  ecoutez  son  ramage 

Heureux  ecoutez  son  ramage 

Mais  ne  fais  pas  de  bruit  de  bruit 

L'oiseau  s'enfuit  s'enfuit. 

Enfin  dans  I'esclavage 
Qui  ton  jours  fait  raourir 
Crois-tu,  crois-tu,  veut  le  retenir? 
Mais  Dieu  le  sauve  de  sa  cage 
Mais  Dieu  le  sauve  de  sa  cage 
Ses  pas  ont  fait  du  bruit  du  bruit 
Libre  oiseau  s'enfuit  s'enfuit. 

THE  NIGHTINGALE. 

At  twilight,  'neath  the  shade  so  dark. 

There  comes  a  nightingale, 

A  tender,  tender  nightingale. 

He  rests  his  wing  from  weary  flight 

And  sweetly  warbles.     Ah,  then,  hark  I 

There,  as  the  stars  illume  the  night. 

His  song  floats  to  the  vale. 

A  timid  little  songster,  this, 

(Far-flying  nightingale, 

O  tender,  tender  nightingale!) 


HERON  ISLAND  %B 

For  should  he  hear  a  step,  a  sound. 
Ah,  then,  that  sweet  song  thou  would  miss 
And  in  the  wood  he'd  not  be  found; 
He'd  have  soared  far  down  the  vale. 

O  thinkest  thou  a  cage  would  hold 
This  sweetest  nightingale? 
O  tender,  tender  nightingale! 
Pray,  then,  beware,  be  not  so  bold! 
The  good  God  wills  he  should  be  free. 
He'd  die  in  slav'ry  e'en  like  thee. 
He'd  ne'er  come  to  our  vale. 

The  gallant  doctor,  as  host  of  the  day,  offered 
next  a  drive  to'  River  Nouvelle  (famous  for  fine 
trout),  and  the  women,  to  carry  out  the  idea  of 
being  in  a  foreign  country,  declared  that  no  vehicle 
would  suffice  for  this  but  the  two-wheeled  cart 
( "  charette  " )  of  the  French  Canadian  habitan,  pro- 
fessing that  this  completed  their  bliss,  although  they 
found  that  in  such  conveyance  conversation  had  a 
tendency  to  become  decidedly  inter jectional,  not  to 
say  explosive,  and  the  elegant  gentleman  confessed 
afterwards  his  certainty  that  one  mile  more  of  such 
travel  would  have  utterly  disintegrated  the  party. 

But  the  Bay;  dimpling,  sparkling,  dancing 
witchingly!  Who  could  withstand  its  allurements, 
or  remain  on  shore  while  there  was  even  a  possi- 
bility of  skimming  away,  free  as  a  sea-gull,  in  that 
white  sloop  which  curtsied  and  waltzed  at  its  anchor- 
age, waving  its  saucy  pennon  as  if  beckoning  the 
strangers  to  "  sail  away  for  a  year  and  a  day,"  if 
they  would?  The  disciple  of  Esculapius  mentally 
consigned  his  distant  patients  to  —  the  care  of  other 
medicos  —  without  a  pang ;   seeming  perfectly  con- 


26      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

tent  that  this  kind  of  thing  should  continue  in- 
definitely when  the  women  declared  that  they  must 
continue  the  day's   pleasuring  by  water. 

The  sloop  sped  away  ecstatically,  and  Barstow 
had  informed  his  passengers  that  he  was  heading  for 
River  Charlo,  on  the  southern  shore,  when  over  the 
water  came  a  merry  shout,  "  Ship  Ahoy ! "  to  which 
the  hale  tar  answered,  "  Aye,  aye ;  so  there  you  are  ?  " 
But  his  actions  did  not  seem  to  accord  with  his 
cheery  tone,  for,  instead  of  slackening  speed,  he  let 
out  a  reef  in  the  mainsail,  and  his  face  wore  an 
expression  which  Kate  Newton  found'  inscrutable. 
The  trio  of  pleasure-seekers,  turning  in  the  direction 
whence  the  clear-toned  hail  came,  discovered  that 
they  were  followed  by  a  skiff,  which  a  young  oars- 
man was  propelling  with  vigorous  strokes.  Bar- 
stow  asked,  "  Do  you  think  we  can  show  him  a  clean 
pair  of  heels?  "  and  the  tourists  could  not  surmise 
whether  he  was  annoyed  or  amused  at  the  progress  and 
prowess  of  the  youth  in  their  wake,  who  after  all  was 
certainly  gaining  on  them.  Whether  this  was  in  con- 
sequence of  the  oarsman's  skill,  or  because  Barstow 
was  allowing  the  "  Petrel "  to  be  caught,  the  women 
could  not  tell ;  but  shortly  the  small  boat  came  along- 
side, and  John  in  gruff  tones  called  out,  "  Hold  on 
there !  Don't  you  know  that  a  stern  chase  is  a  long 
chase?  "  to  which  a  laugh  was  the  merry  rejoinder, 
when  a  young  man,  apparently  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  stepped  on  board,  quickly  attached  the 
painter  to  a  cleat,  allowing  the  skiff  to  drop  astern, 


HERON  ISLAND  n 

touched  his  cap  to  the  passengers,  and  held  towards 
John  a  basket,  saying,  "  You  know  who  that's  for." 

"  C'est  un  gage  d'amour,  n'est-ce  pas  ?  "  said  Dr. 
Laurier  under  his  breath  to  Kate,  but  the  women 
seemed  struck  dumb  as  they  studied  the  newcomer, 
who  had  thus  unceremoniously  boarded  their  vessel. 

Beneath  a  cap  of  true  Glengarry  style  there 
beamed  a  frank  and  sprightly  Saxon  countenance, 
surmounting  an  athletic  figure  clad  in  navy  blue, — 
correct  in  color  for  a  nautical  personage,  only  the 
nether  garments  were  not  loose  sailor  trousers,  but 
the  snug  knee-breeches,  black  ribbed  hose  and  low 
shoes  of  a  wheelman. 

"  Mr.  Donald  Campbell,"  announced  Barstow,  in 
off-hand  manner  of  introduction,  accompanied  by  a 
sweep  of  the  arm  which  took  in  the  newcomer  and 
the  passengers,  the  j^outh  properly  acknowledging 
the  presentation  by  a  bow  to  the  ladies,  and  a  cordial 
grasp  of  the  hand  which  Dr.  Laurier  extended.  The 
basket,  of  which  John  did  not  offer  to  relieve  him, 
was  o^f  Indian  workmanship  and  remarkably  grace- 
ful shape;  the  edges  curling  outward,  the  handle 
slender  and  light,  though  strong.  It  was  filled  with 
large  and  luscious  wild  raspberries,  heaped  on  fern 
leaves,  whose  plumy  fronds  fringed  the  edge  of  the 
dainty  receptacle,  and  set  off  by  admirable  contrast 
the  rich  color  of  the  fruit,  while  long  sprays  of 
the  Mitchella  vine  entwined  the  handle. 

"  II  est  vrai  artiste,"  whispered  Mrs.  Allston  to  Dr. 
Laurier,    while    John    Barstow    conversed   with    the 


S8      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

youth,  though  not  yet  oflfering  to  take  the  dainty 
gift. 

"  And  what  port  had  you  cleared  for,  that  you 
were  not  only  out  of  hailing  distance  but  hull  down 
on  the  horizon  when  I  was  wanting  you  to  show  off 
Megouacha  to  these  strangers? "  said  John.  The 
other  explained  that  it  was  a  fete  day,  the  farm  hands 
gone  to  the  church,  and  an  this  account  he  himself 
had  been  obhged  to  take  a  horse  to  be  shod,  thereby 
missing  the  pleasure  of  doing  the  honors  to  the  tour- 
ists, to  whom  he  made  due  apologies.  Then  coolly 
setting  down  the  basket  beside  the  indifferent  seem- 
ing skipper,  he  loosened  the  rope,  drew  his  skiff 
alongside,  stepped  into  it,  waving  his  cap  in  adieu, 
and  was  soon  shooting  over  the  water  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  verdant  point  in  the  distance. 

Even  quiet  Kate  Newton  assailed  the  seaman, 
"  Captain,  how  could  you  resist  him? "  her  sister 
putting  in  a  word  to  the  same  effect.  Barstow 
laughed :  "  Oh,  yes,  that's  the  way  with  lovely 
woman,  bless  her!  She  can  always  tell  the  cut  o' 
the  jib  at  a  glance,  and  not  only  what  sort  of  a  craft 
it  is,  but  what  dunnage,  while  we,  poor  mortal  men, 
have  to  study  over  it  all  for  no  end  of  a  time.  Why, 
bless  ye,  I've  known  that  chap,  scooting  off  on  his 
shingle  yonder,  since  he  talked  Choctaw  in  his  cradle. 
He's  sound  to  the  core,  I  believe  you;  no  slatting 
or  scrimping  about  his  build,  but  A-number-one  at 
Lloyds'  and  never  fail.  I  just  wanted  to  bother 
him  a  bit."     When  the  women  admired  the  berries 


HERON  ISLAND  29 

Ke  remarked,  "  There's  leagues  upon  leagues  of  'era 
over  there,  but  I  didn't  give-  him  that  fact  back 
again,  for  I  know  he's  been  tramping  miles  to  get 
'em  if  he's  been  to  the  smithy  besides." 

"  You  are  to  take  them  to  your  wife,  I  suppose," 
suggested  Mrs.  Allston,  whose  womanly  curiosity 
was   aroused. 

"  She  has  slept  now  this  many  a  year  in  the 
church-yard  at  Dalhousie,"  answered  the  old  salt, 
with  a  sudden  lengthening  of  countenance,  as  he 
gave  one  long  look  backward  towards  the  pretty  vil- 
lage ;  then  he  added,  "  If  you  want  to  know  if  this 
is  a  sloobrious  climate  you'll  find  a  toomstun  there 
(it's  cracked  across  and  has  been  mended)  erected 
in  1812  to  one  who  died  in  the  one  hundredth  year 
of  her  age.  There's  the  light-keeper,  too,  of  Bon 
Ami  Point  yonder  (there  where  the  two  stone  faces 
stands  guards  and  watches  the  river,  ye  know),  he 
is  eighty-six  years  of  age,  and  has  been  sixty  years 
or  so  at  this  place;  he  has  a  brother  of  eighty-four, 
besides,  still  hale  and  hearty,  living  at  Carleton." 

Interesting  statements  these,  of  course,  but  the 
quiet  little  woman  who  always  had  an  eye  to  the 
poetic  side  of  life,  aided  and  abetted  her  romantic 
sister  by  continuing  the  subject  of  the  fruit,  saying, 
"  Then  this  is  for  your  daughter?  "  She  was  met 
with  the  response,  "  The  one  great  grief  of  our  lives, 
Jane's  and  mine,  was  that  we  had  never  a  chick  or  a 
child  to  bless  us." 

tThis  was,  to  say  the  least,  baffling;  and  the  sub- 


60      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ject  was  dropped  when  Barstow  carefully  set  the 
basket  away  in  the  cuddy. 

The  lengthening  shadows  betokened  waning  day, 
and,  imperceptibly  to  all  but  the  watchful  eye  of  the 
skipper,  a  change  was  coming  over  the  scene.  In 
the  southwest,  a  veil  of  gray  had  been  forming, 
gradually  spreading  its  folds,  blurring  into  neutral 
tint  the  formerly  vivid  hues  of  sea  and  shore,  as  if 
Nature,  in  sudden  impatience,  dissatisfied  with  her 
effects  in  landscape-painting,  would  wipe  out  the 
picture.  The  voyagers  lapsed  into  dreamy  silence, 
each  apparently  wrapped  in  his  own  reflections,  until 
the  fair  Mrs.  Allston  seemed  to  arouse  from  reverie, 
and,  impelled  by  the  thought  that  this  would  be 
just  the  most  appropriate  season  for  weird  recital, 
edged  round  to  the  hale  Jack  Tar.  Such  were  the 
effects  of  her  blandishments  that  the  round  and  rub- 
icund John  again  fell  into  the  snare  so  slyly  laid, 
and  was  induced  to  reel  off  a  yarn  for  the  edifica- 
tion of  the  party. 

"  And  so,  my  lady,"  playfully  said  the  gallant 
old  fellow,  "  this  is  the  reason  you  were  warpin' 
your  trim  craft  around  to  my  lee  side,  is  it.^*  Well, 
then,  here  goes !  " 

As  that  low-lying  strip  of  land  in  the  distance 
had  seemed  to  interest  his  party  from  the  first,  and 
as  their  course  was  now  directed  towards  Heron 
Island,  Barstow  appropriately  related  a  story  con- 
nected therewith,  a  tale  in  which  many  of  the  French 
"  habitans  "  and  fisher-folk  of  the  Bay  believe  im- 


HERON  ISLAND  31 

pllcitly  even  to  this  day ;  a  tale  which,  herein  divested 
of  his  nautical  language,  gives"  the  legend  of 

THE    BURNING   SHIP    OF    HERON    ISLAND. 

Gaspar  Cortereal,  of  Portugal,  was  very  success- 
ful in  trading  with  the  Indians  of  Gaspe,  bartering 
with  them,  by  means  of  trinkets  and  trifles,  for  rich 
furs  which  he  sold  in  his  own  country  at  great 
profit.  This  would  have  been  well  enough  if  he  had 
been  satisfied  with  it,  but,  one  night,  off^ering  them  a 
feast  in  his  cabin,  he  lured  on  board  his  ship  a 
great  number  of  the  young  Indians.  When  day 
broke  the  unsuspecting  savages  found  themselves 
captives  in  the  ship,  which  was  then  far  out  at  sea; 
and  on  their  arrival  in  Portugal  the  unfortunates 
were  sold  as  slaves.  The  next  year  the  treacherous 
adventurer  thought  to  try  this  trick  again,  but  did 
not  quite  dare  venture  into  Gaspe  Bay.  He  an- 
chored at  Heron  Island,  and  there  pursued  his 
traffic  with  the  natives,  who  flocked  in  numbers  to 
the  trading,  pretending  friendliness,  while  in  reality 
plotting  vengeance  for  the  kidnapping  of  their  fel- 
lows. One  night  the  savages  burst  upon  the  for- 
eigners, and  put  all  to  death  with  the  exception  of 
Cortereal,  who  was  bound  to  a  rock  at  low  tide; 
there,  after  suff^ering  the  utmost  torture  which  the 
savages  could  invent,  death  came  to  him  by  inches 
as  the  tide  rose  around  him,  and  his  wretched  life 
ended  with  the  submerging  of  the  rock. 

Two  years   after,   Cortereal's  brother  set  out   to 


32      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

search  for  his  missing  relative,  and,  sailing  into  the 
Bay,  recognized  the  ship,  still  anchored  at  Heron 
Island;  and  was  filled  with  exultation  at  the  success 
of  his  enterprise,  as  he  began  to  calculate  the  value 
of  the  cargo  which  he  would  carry  away.  But  his 
joy  was  of  short  duration,  for  on  reaching  his  broth- 
er's ship  a  troop  of  savages  appeared,  leaped  to  his 
vessel,  and  killed  most  of  the  crew,  who  were  entirely 
unprepared  for  such  an  onslaught.  Cortereal  anci 
some  of  his  men  succeeded  in  gaining  the  cabin  which 
they  barricaded,  while  arming  themselves;  the  ship 
meanwhile,  unknown  to  all,  drifted  out  with  the  tide. 
Knowing  there  was  no  hope  for  them,  the  white 
men  took  a  solemn  oath  that  they  would  die  together, 
and  moreover  would  haunt  the  Bay  for  a  thousand 
years  afterwards ;  then  they  scuttled  the  ship,  set  fire 
to  the  vessel,  rushed  from  the  cabin,  taking  their 
captors  utterly  by  surprise,  and  a  terrible  battle  en- 
sued. As  the  ship  settled  in  the  water  and  the  fire 
burst  through  the  deck  the  savages  swarmed  up  the 
rigging  until  the  ropes  themselves  were  in  a  blaze, 
when,  with  a  lurch  and  plunge,  the  ship  sank  beneath 
the  waves.  Only  one  Indian  escaped  to  tell  the  tale ; 
he,  clinging  to  a  piece  of  the  wreck,  drifted  back  with 
the  tide.  The  Indians,  frightened  by  the  frequent 
appearance  of  the  blazing  vessel,  which  rises  and 
drifts  about  the  Bay,  especially  on  stormy  nights, 
deserted  the  island  and  moved  to  the  interior. 

An  eerie  and  gruesome  tale  this,  as  the  tourists 
agreed,  even  Dr.  Laurier  asserting  that  "  it  is  suffi- 


HERON  ISLAND  38 

cient  to  cause  the  skin  crawl,"  which  was  supposed 
to  be  his  version  of  the  saying,  "  It  makes  the  flesh 
creep."  The  romantic  querist,  assaiHng  the  sailor  as 
to  his  belief  in  the  same,  was  met  by  the  noncommit- 
tal reply :  "  Did  you  ever  see  a  tar  who  wasn't  super- 
stitious ?  "  though  a  twinkle  lurking  in  his  eye  might 
indicate  that  he  had  his  own  opinion  on  the  subject. 
He  added :  "  I  can  give  you  the  actual  words  of  an 
old  French  resident  of  Grand  River,  over  there  on 
the  P.  Q.  shore,  who  said  to  me,  '  So  clearly  has  the 
burning  ship  been  seen  that  the  rigging  could  be 
plainly  distinguished,  and  even  objects  resembling 
men  climbing  the  ropes.  This  is  strange  but  true; 
old  and  young  have  witnessed  it ;  even  this  summer  it 
was  seen  near  the  shore  of  Max-ee-ah  by  several  per- 
sons who  watched  it  for  hours,  and  finally  saw  it  dis- 
appear in  the  distance.'  Yes,"  continued  the  sailor, 
"  an  old  pilot  told  me  that  he  had  been  near  enough 
to  hear  the  clash  of  arms  and  to  see  the  crew,  and 
others  have  told  me  it  has  been  seen  even  under  the 
sea,  still  blazing  like  fury.  The  water  can't  put  it 
out,  you  see,  for  old  Scratch  keeps  feeding  the 
flames,  and  they  say  the  light  shows  above  the  ice  in 
winter." 

The  lively  lady  asserted  her  desire  to  behold  the 
ghostty  spectacle;  and  the  tar,  with  an  air  of  well- 
assumed  horror,  gazed  upon  her  with  widened  eyes, 
declaring,  "  They  say  it  is  a  certain  sign  of  death  or 
disaster ;"  but  she  nevertheless  recklessly  repeated  her 
earnest  wish  to  witness  the  unlucky  apparition. 


34      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Kate  Newton,  mildly  protesting,  began,  "  Martha, 
don't  be — ,"  but  her  sister  interrupted  with  the  ex- 
clamation, "  Oh,  do  see  that  queer  ship  near  Heron 
Island ! "  and  at  once  implored  Barstow  to  sail  closer 
that  they  might  inspect  the  strange  craft,  and  he 
willingly  brought  them  almost  under  the  bows  of  the 
huge  vessel  lying  at  anchor.  Such  a  singularly  Rip 
Van  Winkle-ish  spectacle  it  proved;  where  could  it 
have  been  hidden  for  a  century  or  so  to  come  thus 
upon  the  vision  like  a  tangible  reminiscence  of  olden 
times?  The  hull,  broad  and  low,  was  striped  black 
and  white  like  an  antique  war  vessel;  the  curiously- 
carved  stern  slanted  sharply  inward;  the  bows  were 
elaborately  ornamented  with  scroll  work,  once  gor- 
geous in  gilding;  the  masts  seemed  prodigiously  tall, 
as  the  strangers  gazed  from  below,  and  a  maze  of 
cordage  was  outlined  against  the  sky  like  mammoth 
spider  webs.     Kate  quoted  from  Whittier: 

The  merchant  ship  lay  idly  there,  in  hard,  clear  lines  on  high. 
Tracing  with  rope  and  slender  spar  its  network  on  the  sky. 

The  name  "  Aldegunde  of  Holmstrand "  seemed 
appropriately  quaint  for  the  stranger  to  bear,  and 
Barstow  grew  loquacious,  volunteering  the  informa- 
tion that  she  was  "  probably  an  old  merchantman  now 
used  for  transporting  timber,  and  no  doubt  on  her 
way  to  Campbellton  to  load  with  deals." 

He  added :  "  The  oldest  ships  afloat  are  owned  in 
Norway  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade;  yes,  if 
you'll  believe  it,  there's  a  barque  of  London  which 
was  built  in  seventeen-sixty   something,  and  is   still 


HERON  ISLAND  36 

traveling  and  trading.  You  ladies  will  be  especially 
interested  to  know  that  she's  American  built,  and  no 
doubt  you'll  think  she  has  a  pretty  name,  'True 
Love,'  "  and  John  seemed  to  warm  to  his  subject,  and 
continued,  "  Oh,  they  built  ships  in  the  right  way  in 
old  times.  None  o'  your  '  killdry '  lumber  then ; 
they  made  'em  to  last.  Now  they  build  'em  by  the 
mile,  and  chop  'em  off  in  lengths  to  suit  customers, 
as  your  newspaper  ads.  put  it;  why,  the  wood  is  so 
green  that  the  coons  haven't  time  to  clear  out  before 
the  timber  goes  into  the  vessels,  and  the  seams  begin 
to  grin  and  yawn  before  the  boat's  off  the  stays,  al- 
most; the  coast  is  paved  with  the  rotting  bones  of 
such  craft,  for  they  go  to  pieces  as  easy  as  an  ice- 
cream pyramid  under  a  hot  sun.  Why,  nowadays, 
such  ship  builders  as  those  old  fellows  couldn't  get 
custom,  because  they'd  be  too  slow  for  these  times, 
and  couldn't  build  and  launch  a  barkentine  in  a  week ; 
they'd  have  to  go  to  makin'  shoe-pegs,  packing- 
boxes  and  step-ladders  to  get  a  living."  Quite  a 
tirade  this  for  the  jolly  old  chap,  and  the  strangers 
could  not  tell  how  much  of  it  was  fun  and  how  much 
earnest,  they  meantime  being  engrossed  in  examining 
the  huge  mass  looming  above  them. 

Nothing  escaped  the  bright  eyes  of  Kate,  who 
asked,  "  Is  the  Norwegian  flag  yellow .?  "  causing  her 
companions  to  exclaim  as  their  attention  was  thus 
called  to  the  i)ennon,  of  such  uncommon  hue,  flap- 
ping on  one  of  the  masts,  which  seemed  to  soar  into 
the  clouds. 


36      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

"  Why,  no,"  ejaculated  John,  "  I  had  noticed  that, 
and  it  means  Hospital ;  there  must  be  illness  or  trouble 
aboard ;  "  whereupon  Martha  Allston,  in  excited  whis- 
per, exclaimed,  "  Can  it  mean  yellow  fever,  or  any 
thing  contagious?  " 

Dr.  Laurier  set  her  mind  at  rest  on  that  point, 
avowing  his  intention  of  boarding  the  vessel,  feeling 
that  his  profession  entitled  him  at  least  to  make  in- 
quiries. Just  at  that  moment  the  captain  of  the  ship 
appeared,  and  entered  into  conference,  recklessly 
shattering  the  King's  English  into  bits  in  his  expla- 
nation that  his  one  passenger  "  de  ay-gent  off  de 
loomper  kompny  haf  met  veeth  an  axe-e-dent,"  and 
he  had  sent  ashore  to  see  if  there  was  a  physician  at 
Dalhousie  or  Campbellton  who  would  come  to  their 
assistance;  that  his  man  "  haf  joost  retoorn,  and  zay 
dere  is  nefer  eeder  docktare  or  soorjin,  und  I  am  in 
zo  mooch  distrest  ov  mine,  vile  dat  pore  yoong  shen- 
telman  iss  in  sooch  payen  as  never  vas." 

By  this  time  the  energetic  Frenchman  had  mounted 
the  ship's  side  like  a  cat,  and  disappeared  from  view 
with  Captain  Kniidsen. 

Of  course  the  sympathies  of  the  women  were  at 
once  enlisted  on  behalf  of  the  young  foreigner,  and 
it  seemed  an  age  before  the  doctor  and  captain  ap- 
peared again.  Then  they  both  descended  into  the 
sloop  to  consult  with  Barstow,  and  to  lay  before  him 
the  problem. 

The  captain,  in  his  astonishing  English,  said,  "  Dis 
yoong  man,  Mr.   Eric  Gjerding,  you   zee  haf  von 


HERON  ISLAND  37 

shtorm  night  treep-ed  on  de  deck,  vere  a  shtoopit  zay- 
lor  dit  shpill  zom  oy-al,  vich  Coze  de  shentelman  to 
fall  ofer  a  coy-el  off  ro-ap,  unt  his  leek  vas  proke. 
Now  my  fadther  vas  a  docktare,  unt  I  haf  vonce  be- 
gun to  stoodie  mit  him;  but  I  likes  alvays  better  de 
zee,  zo  I  gif  oop  de  medcin,  alldoe  I  haiF  learn  how 
to  set  de  bo-an.  Zo  dere  vas  nodings  to  do  but  I 
moost  feex  de  pore  young  man's  leek,  vor  ve  vas  den 
hoonderts  miles  oiF  dees  blace.  Veil,  bart  off  mine 
carco  iss  blaster,  vich  I  gets  at  Blaster  Cofe  in  de 
Basin  Minas,  Bay  Fundy ;  unt  zo  I  sudden  dinks  dat 
is  vot  mine  fadther  use  to  do,  he  mak  like  trough  unt 
fill  mit  blaster  to  case  de  broken  leek,  so  dat  I 
do." 

Dr.  Laurier  explained  to  the  ladies  that  the  plas- 
ter is  gypsum  or  terra  alba,  which  is  valuable  as  a 
fertilizer,  adding  aside  to  Kate,  "  Your  confectioners 
and  grocers  divert  it  to  base  uses,  adulterating  sugar 
and  flour,"  but  she  was  too  much  interested  in  the 
captain's  story  to  resent  the  mischievous  thrust,  or  to 
take  up  the  cudgels  in  defense  of  her  countrymen. 
Then  the  physician,  possibly  somewhat  vain  of  his 
more  fluent  tongue,  came  to  the  rescue  of  the  Norse- 
man's limping  English,  saying  to  Barstow,  "  The 
Capitaine  has  done  well;  I  should  be  proud  of  him 
as  an  associate  in  my  profession ;  the  patient  has  done 
so  well  as  possible  under  the  circumstances ;  the  pain 
which  the  young  man  suffers  is  from  the  knitting  of 
the  bone,  and  it  could  be  subdued  if  the  captain's 
medicine   chest   had   a   greater   variety   of   remedies. 


38       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Mr.  Yer — ■ —  I  cannot  speak  the  name ;  it  would  give 
me  lockjaw, —  the  patient,  I  mean, —  must  now  have 
absolute  quiet,  as  well  as  good  country  fare.  I  come 
now  to  ask  you  could  we  take  him  ashore  in  your 
boat?  " 

John  unhesitatingly  assented,  as  if  this  thing, 
which  looked  to  the  women  like  a  herculean  task, 
were  an  everyday  occurrence.  The  hotel  at  Bon  Ami 
Point  was  spoken  of  as  a  refuge  for  the  invalid,  but 
Dr.  Laurier  strenuously  objected;  whereupon  then 
spake  up  John  the  generous,  "  Bring  him  to  my 
house,  and  I'll  guarantee  that  he'll  have  the  best  of 
care,"  overruling  all  objections,  and  turning  aside, 
with  a  laugh  or  ironical  word,  the  protestations  of  the 
party.  The  transfer  was  successfully  and  speedily 
made,  though  one  might  have  supposed  that  it  would 
have  taxed  the  ingenuity  of  the  whole  ship's  crew, 
and  brought  into  requisition 

Crow  and  lever  and  gaff  and  sling. 
Tongs  and  tackle  and  roller  and  ring 

to  hoist  such  a  dead  weight  through  the  hatchway, 
and  lower  it  into  the  sloop.  There  the  women  at 
once  and  naturally  assumed  the  position  of  nurses, 
and  assisted  with  their  gentle  cares;  and  Captain 
Kniidsen,  vastly  relieved  in  mind,  assured  the  party 
that  he  should  now  proceed  to  Campbellton  to  load 
with  lumber,  and  would  come  as  soon  as  possible  to 
Fossil  Cove  to  see  how  the  sufferer  progressed. 

A  subdued  company  it  was  returning  in  the 
"  Petrel."     The  threatening  aspect  of  the  sky  had 


HERON  ISLAND  39 

vanished,  the  gray  bank  in  the  southwest  had  been 
dispelled,  probably  by  a  distant  thunder-storm,  and 
the  sun  was  almost  setting  when  the  sloop  neared 
John's  little  wharf,  beyond  which  his  neat  cottage  and 
pretty  garden  could  be  seen  in  the  pleasant,  soft 
light.  Not  far  from  the  small  pier  the  passengers 
descried  the  figure  of  a  woman  seated  on  the  beach, 
her  attention  absorbed  in  something  which  she  was 
moving  and  turning  in  singular  fashion  in  her  hands. 
To  the  amazement  of  the  women  and  the  physician, 
the  sailor  arose,  and,  taking  a  stone  from  his  pocket, 
seemed  to  aim  directly  at  this  woman,  causing  Kate 
to  scream  with  affright;  but  the  stone  fell  in  the 
water,  near  the  bending  figure,  with  a  splash  which 
must  have  spattered  her.  She  suddenly  turned  her 
head,  her  face  beamed  in  glad  recognition,  and  Kate 
exclaimed,  "  What  a  lovely  creature !  Truly  she 
makes  a  perfect  picture." 

This  enthusiastic  young  person's  attention  was 
next  arrested  by  further  extraordinary  conduct  on 
the  part  of  John.  He  had  lowered  the  sail,  and  the 
boat  now  rested  in  glassy  water,  which  reflected  the 
roseate  sunset  sky ;  and  the  sailor  stood  by  the  mast, 
attitudinizing,  in  the  most  amazing  manner.  If  the 
party  had  not  through  the  day  become  convinced  of 
his  good  sound  common-sense,  this  performance  on 
his  part  would  have  been  sufficient  proof  that  he  had 
"  gone  clean  daft."  He  bent  his  head,  resting  it 
upon  his  hands,  then  waved  one  hand  in  the  direction 
of  the  lighthouse;  then  he  moved  both  hands  alter- 


40       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

nately  in  a  manner  suggesting  a  dog's  feet  paddling 
in  the  water,  after  which  he  seemed  to  draw  invisible 
buckets  of  imperceptible  water  from  an  imaginary 
well;  then  he  leaned  forward,  touching  the  deck  with 
the  tips  of  his  fingers,  and  next  suddenly  became  erect, 
pointing  with  one  finger  to  his  forehead. 

The  girl  on  the  beach  during  all  this  had  stood 
motionless  as  a  statue,  in  unconsciously  bewitching 
pose.  Her  dark  brown  dress  of  heavy  serge  hung 
in  full  graceful  folds,  unbroken  by  flounce  or  trim- 
ming ;  a  wide-brimmed  soft  felt  hat,  dark  red  in  color, 
had  slipped  back  from  her  face,  showing  jet  black 
hair  and  olive  complexion,  with  warm  color  in  the 
cheeks;  and  the  eyes, —  large,  liquid  and  black  as  a 
sloe, —  rested  on  Bar  stow  with  most  intent  gaze. 
With  the  right  hand  thrown  up  back  of  the  ear,  as  if 
just  catching  the  brim  of  her  hat  as  it  was  about  to 
slip  off,  and  with  the  other  hand  slightly  extended, 
she  stood  as  if  listening,  though  no  sound  could  be 
heard  but  the  lapping  of  the  water  against  the  piles 
and  on  the  beach.  Then,  touching  one  finger  to  her 
lips,  and  gracefully  bending  her  head,  she  turned  and 
sped  away,  light  and  swift  as  a  doe,  in  the  direction 
of  the  lighthouse. 

The  sailor  turned  with  a  satisfied  smile  to  the 
women,  whom  he  and  the  physician  assisted  in  dis- 
embarking. The  latter  excused  himself  for  not  ac- 
companying them,  as  he  must  superintend  and  aid 
in  the  removal  of  the  patient  from  the  sloop  to  the 
sailor's   cottage;   suggesting,   however,   that   if  they 


HERON  ISLAND  41 

would  wait  at  the  Arched  Rock,  the  Gate  of  Fossil 
Cove,  he  would  join  them  there,  and  escort  them  to 
supper  at  the  hotel. 

Even  one  who  was  not  especially  interested  could 
not  fail  to  feel  sufficient  desire  to  witness  the  transfer 
of  the  interesting  sufferer.  The  women  naturally 
did  not  withstand  this  opportunity,  but  stationed 
themselves  under  the  great  stone  arch  which  the  sea 
during  unknown  centuries  had  worn  through  the 
hard  trap  rock. 

Then  came,  hastening  along  the  beach,  four  young 
habitans  and  two  Indians ;  the  former  browned  by  ex- 
posure to  the  sun  and  storm  until  they  appeared  as 
swarthy  as  those  whom  they  called  "  sauvages."  Fine 
specimens  of  vigorous  young  manhood  were  they  all ; 
supple  of  limb,  tense  of  muscle,  i^'eady  to  spring  to  in- 
stant action  with  a  sense  of  exultation  in  their 
power. 

In  the  boat  Barstow  and  the  doctor  arranged  the 
ropes  and  supports  attached  to  the  hammock,  while 
the  young  men  on  the  small  jetty  stood  alert  to  do 
their  part,  ready  to  obey  instantly  directions  from  the 
leaders,  and  to  lift  the  prostrate  figure,  which  lay 
helpless  and  heavy  as  a  leaden  image  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat.  A  few  short  words  of  command  from  the 
sailor,  with  a  quiet  direction  from  the  physician,  and 
the  long  hammock,  resembling  a  gigantic  chrysalis, 
was  deftly  raised  to  the  wharf,  then  slung  by  its  ropes 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  six  athletes,  who,  with  pace 
so  measured  and  regular  that  there  could  be  no  jar, 


42      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

conveyed  the  sufferer  to  the  cottage,  and  disappeared 
within  the  door. 

When  Dr.  Laurier  joined  the  waiting  women  he 
exclaimed  with  enthusiasm,  "  Positivement,  the  Bar- 
stow  is  a  clieen-use;  never  should  I  have  supposed  this 
possible  of  accomplishment,  yet  now  have  I  left  the 
young  man  so  comfortable  as  possible  in  bed;  and  he 
will  without  doubt  recover  with  speed.  Certainly  he 
could  not  fail  to  do  so,  for  he  has  a  physique  which 
would  otherwise  be  a  libel  on  Nature.  He  is  a  glori- 
ous young  Viking ;  I  call  him  Mon  Prince,  he  so  much 
resembles  Prince  Oscar  of  Sweden,  whom  once  I  had 
the  honor  to  meet." 

One  of  the  women  meantime  had  her  thoughts  and 
attention  riveted  on  a  tiny  silhouette  of  a  boat,  in 
which  she  was  certain  that  the  gay  oarsman  Camp- 
bell was  speeding  across  to  Fossil  Cove;  for  she,  ro- 
mantic person,  felt  confident  that  he  must  have  spe- 
cial interest  in,  and  for,  the  mysterious  gypsy, —  the 
fair  unknown  with  whom  the  skipper  held  such  as- 
tounding communion. 

Fervently  did  Gaston  Laurier  bless  that  fortunate 
unfortunate  who  had  been  so  comfortably  deposited 
in  the  cottage  of  the  retired  ship-master;  for  in  the 
stranger's  mishap  had  he  not  found  his  own  good  for- 
tune?—  giving  as  it  did  valid  excuse  for  him  to  re- 
main longer  in  this  delightsome  spot,  and  in  compan- 
ionship which  daily  grew  in  charm, —  and  danger; 
although  he  wilfully  shut  his  eyes  to  the  latter  fact. 
Frequent  were  his  visits,  devoted  his  attentions  to  the 


HERON  ISLAND  4S 

young  foreigner,  and  what  so  natural  as  that  the  sis- 
ters should  accompany  him  on  these  errands  of  mercy  ? 
A  distinct  path  was  becoming  worn  in  the  field  which 
the  trio  traversed  in  crossing  Bon  Ami  Point  (ap- 
propriate name !)  to  Fossil  Cove ;  and  Mr.  Eric  Gjerd- 
ing  ought  at  the  very  least  to  have  arisen  and  danced 
in  evidence  of  speedy  cure,  as  well  as  appreciation  of 
such  professional  and  feminine  care.  No  doubt  he 
wished  heartily  enough  to  do  so,  though  obliged  to 
submit  to  imprisonment,  and  the  doctor's  jocosely- 
peremptory  mandates,  until  Nature,  assisted  by  his 
remedies,  had  had  time  to  repair  damages. 

In  the  dainty  neatness  of  John  Barstow's  cottage 
there  were  unmistakable  evidences  of  a  woman's  pres- 
ence, which  did  not  escape  the  bright  eyes  of  Martha 
or  the  quiet  notice  of  Kate;  but  the  unknown  dame 
or  damsel  remained  strangely  invisible,  although  at 
one  of  their  calls  with  the  doctor  a  piece  of  work 
was  seen  on  the  table  in  the  cosy  and  tasteful  parlor ; 
at  another  a  small  glove  had  evidently  been  dropped 
on  the  floor  by  some  one  passing  out  hastily ;  and  yet 
again  a  rocking-chair  was  discovered  slowly  oscillat- 
ing, as  if  the  occupant  thereof  had  just  fled  through 
the  open  door.  Finally,  one  day  the  mysterious 
femininity  was  caught,  seated  in  the  deep  embrasure 
of  one  of  the  casement  windows  which  let  in  a  flood 
of  sunlight  through  the  two-foot-thick  stone  wall. 
Though  evidently  embarrassed,  she  gracefully  ac- 
knowledged the  introduction  when  the  grand  old 
Triton  proudly  announced,  "  Ladies,  my  daughter," 


44      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

and  they  recognized  the  young  gypsy  of  the  beach. 
His  daughter?  Yet  he  had  distinctly  told  them 
on  the  day  of  their  memorable  excursion  in  the  "  Pe- 
trel "  that  he  had  never  had  a  child !  There  was 
some  mystery  about  this,  and  what  more  fascinating 
to  the  feminine  mind?  The  women  were  instantly 
taken  by  storm  by  this  meeting  with  the  beautiful 
girl,  and  would  have  entered  into  conversation  with 
her  but  that  she  slipped  out  of  the  door,  taking  with 
her  a  basket  from  the  table,  making  an  apologetic 
and  deprecating  obeisance;  the  sisters  meantime  an- 
swering a  rather  hasty  remark  (on  nothing  in  par- 
ticular), which  was  made  by  Barstow. 

In  all  these  weeks,  which  had  been  passing  so 
charmingly  to  them,  the  sisters  had  become  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  seafaring  man,  and  on  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  girl  they  instantly  assailed  him,  the 
doctor  meanwhile  having  left  the  room  to  attend  his 
patient. 

"  Who  is  she?  "  said  Kate. 

"  You  said  you  had  no  child,"  added  Martha. 

"  Tell  us  about  her,"  continued  Kate.  "  She  is 
lovely  as  an  artist's  dream  or  poet's  vision ! " 

John's  rugged  countenance  fairly  beamed  at  this, 
and,  taking  a  hasty  glance  in  all  directions  from  the 
window,  he  seated  himself  beside  the  fair  dames  and 
began : 

"  So  I  must  spin  ye  another  yam?  Or,  like  the 
children,  you  want  me  to  tell  you  a  story.  Shall  it 
begin,  '  Once  upon  a  time,'  or  '  Many  years  ago  '  ? 


HERON  ISLAND  45 

Well,  it  shall  be  both.  There  was  a  tremenjus  storm 
in  Bay  Shaloor,  the  worst  that  ever  was  known  by  the 
oldest  inhabitant.  Even  in  this  sheltered  cove  the 
big  rollers  broke  agin  the  Point,  and  the  gate  in  the 
rock  there  was  filled  up  to  the  top  of  its  ruff  by  the 
sea.  The  lantern  of  the  lighthouse  at  the  mouth  o' 
the  river  was  smashed  to  flinders,  houses  in  the  vil- 
lage had  their  ruffs  torn  off  as  if  they  was  paste- 
board, and  I  knew  there'd  be  wild  work  at  sea,  and 
many  a  good  ship  would  lay  her  bones  on  this  coast. 
'Twas  bitter  weather,  but  just  at  the  edge  o'  day, 
when  the  sea  was  going  down  a  bit,  I  went  out  in  my 
row-boat,  which  is  built  after  the  life-boat  fashion  — 
you  can  study  her  pretty  lines  on  the  beach  below 
there  —  I  knew  'twas  at  the  risk  of  my  life,  but  I  was 
fifteen  years  younger  then,  and 

Salt  as  the  sea  wind,  tough  and  strong 
As  an  old  cask  from  Labrador, 

as  one  of  your  poets  puts  it.  Yes,  and  I  thought 
maybe  I  might  help  someone,  though  I  couldn't  make 
out  how  any  craft  could  have  lived  in  such  a  sea  as 
had  been  running.  To  be  sure  there  was  a  wreck; 
some  ship  had  gone  to  pieces,  all  stove  into  kindlings, 
so  there  wasn't  enough  of  it  left  to  show  what  it  had 
been ;  no  name  nor  nothing,  and  even  the  bodies  of 
the  poor  sailors  or  passengers  must  have  been  carried 
out  to  sea,  for  there  was  the  most  'mazing  tide, — 
there  never  was  one  like  it  before  or  since,  leastways 
to  the  best  of  my  reckoning,  or  as  far  as  I  can  find 
out.     But  in  an  eddy  between  the  islands  I  found 


46      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

the  queerest  craft  that  ever  was  seen  since  Moses  was 
launched ;  it  was  as  if  the  waves  were  playing  battle- 
dore and  shuttlecock,  this  strange  thing  being  tossed 
about  by  'em,  and  I  caught  it  with  my  boat  hook. 
There  was  a  full  dozen  curious  straw  mats  rolled 
tight  and  lashed  together,  with  another  mat  lying 
atop;  and  in  that,  all  wrapped  in  tarpaulins  and 
blankets,  was  a  child  of  six  years  of  age.  It  was 
that  blue  and  ghastly  that  I  tho't  it  dead;  but  a 
little  twitch  of  a  finger  made  me  think  p'raps  there 
was  a  spark  o'  life  yet,  and  I  just  laid  to  my  oars  and 
put  for  the  shore  with  might  and  main.  I  tell  you  I 
just  made  the  '  Bunsby  '  walk,  and  in  less  time  than 
I'm  telling  ye  I  had  that  chick  beside  the  fire.  Well, 
I  had  to  fight  for  it  the  whole  livelong  day,  toastin' 
blankets  and  roastin'  bricks  to  get  a  bit  o'  warmth 
into  the  tiny  mite,  and  rubbin'  its  little  body  with 
hot  spirits ;  I  never  stopped  for  bite  or  sup  myself  till 
night  came,  and  then  that  bit  o'  humanity  opened  its 
eyes  and  looked  at  me,  like  two  stars  peepin'  out  in 
a  night  o'  murk.  Then  I  tell  ye  I  could  just  have  sat 
down  and  cried,  I  was  that  happy ! 

"  Well,  it  was  only  a  short  time  till  the  little  thing 
recovered,  and  Mrs.  Campbell,  yonder  there  at 
Megouacha,  made  the  purtiest  cloze  fur  it ;  and  they 
all  was  in  love  with  it,  and  it  grew  to  be  the  sweetest 
cherub  you  ever  laid  eyes  on.  But  the  shock,  or  ex- 
posure, or  fright,  or  all  together,  made  that  blessed 
creeter  what  you  call  a  mute.  She  hadn't  lost  her 
hearing  entirely,  and  if  she  don't  speak  with  her  eyes 


HERON  ISLAND  47 

and  talk  with  every  look  of  her  bright  face,  then  I'm 
mistaken.  I've  often  thought  she  must  be  of  Spanish 
blood, —  I've  been  to  Spain  and  Portugal  and  lots 
others  of  those  queer  countries  in  my  day, —  but  I've 
never  been  able  to  find  out  anything  about  the  ship, 
or  about  the  child  or  her  people. 

"  Well,  the  village  was  wild  about  '  Barstow's 
Baby,'  as  they  called  her,  and  Mrs.  Campbell  begged 
right  hard  to  keep  her;  but  she'd  walked  right  into 
me  heart,  and  I  couldn't  let  her  go ;  I  vowed  I'd  'dopt 
her  an'  bless  old  Nep  into  the  bargain  for  sending  her 
to  me,  though,"  he  added  reverently,  "  God  knows  she 
was  Heaven-sent^  and  has  brought  me  the  greatest  j  oy 
of  my  life!  Then  young  Campbell's  father  asked 
me  could  he  christen  her,  and  I  said  I  had  a  name 
a'ready,  a  name  well  known  to  sailors  and  suited  to 
the  way  I  got  her,  and  that  was  *  Jetsaniy''  and  I  said 
her  glossy  black  hair  suited  it  too.  But  he  laughed, 
and  said  she'd  be  ashamed  of  such  an  outlandish  one 
as  that  and  so  I  gave  in,  after  a  fashion,  when  he 
(being  Scotch,  you  know)  chose  lona,  and  I  tho't  that 
sounded  rather  pretty,  an'  I  agreed  to  it.  But  I  put 
the  other  name  in  the  middle,  so  she's  lona  Jetsam 
Barstow,  and  I  often  call  her  Jetty  for  short.  Well, 
that  saucy  boy  who  was  chasing  us  in  the  '  Petrel ' 
t'other  day,  was  near  her  age, — only  five  years  older ; 
and  you  just  ought  to  have  seen  how  those  little  trots 
took  to  each  other,  an'  they've  been  just  that  dewoted 
ever  since.  Bless  you,  he  taught  her  to  read  by 
scratchin'  on  the  sand  with  a  stick,  and  to  write  on 


48      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

birch  bark  with  the  ink  of  the  squid  he  found  on  the 
beach  after  storms;  so  he  was  makin'  play  of  her 
schooHn'  all  the  time,  and  she  learned  so  fast,  'twas 
'mazin'  indeed.  What  with  her  own  natural  quick- 
ness, an'  the  Campbells  and  me  helping,  by  speakin' 
slow  an'  keerful,  she  learned  to  tell  what  we  were 
sayin',  much  of  the  time,  by  watchin'  our  lips.  As 
to  books,  why  she's  a  cormyrant,  and  has  been  eena- 
most  through  Mr.  Campbell's  library  (an'  I  have  too), 
she  sitting  on  my  knee  and  I  reading  over  her  shoul- 
der. 

"  Well,  in  some  of  my  travels,  before  she  came  to 
me,  I  went  once  to  school  at  a  place  they  call  Leep- 
sick  in  Yourop  where  they  teach  mutes  to  talk  (and 
^tis  wonderful,  I  believe  you)  ;  so  by  what  I  could  re- 
member o'  their  ways  o'  shown'  'em,  an'  what  I  could 
make  up  out  o'  my  thick  noodle  to  p'int  it  out  clear  to 
her, —  like  sightin'  a  sail  on  the  horizon,  though  'twas 
that  far  away  from  the  reeginal  thing,  in  the  forrin 
school, —  I  showed  her  how  to  watch  my  lips  and  tell 
what  I  was  saying.  Donald  and  I  betwixt  us  learnt 
her  warious  things,  and  Mrs.  Campbell  showed  her 
about  sewin',  and  house  ways  o'  doin'  things.  She's 
sharper  'n  a  steel  trap,  and  quicker  'n  lightning ;  but 
she's  shy  until  people  know  about  her,  and  so  she's 
sheered  off  when  she  saw  you  steering  this  a-way; 
and  I've  laughed  at  her  for  runnin'  the  blockade, 
and  keepin'  out  o'  bounds.  She'll  s'prize  ye,  I  dare 
swear,  although  I'm  not  profane, —  she's  cured  me  o' 
that " —  with  a  chuckle  which  shook  his  round  body 


HERON  ISLAND  49 

like  a  quaking  jelly.  "  She  can  tell  me  a  long  story 
in  three  waves  of  her  hand,  and  the  same  to  you  with 
pencil  and  paper,  her  scribbler  traveling  along  like  a 
two-forty  racer,  or  a  pirate  chasin'  a  merchantman  in 
old  times.  Oh,  I've  learned  lots  of  her,  for  I  never 
had  advantages,  and  all  the  schooling  I  ever  got  was 
*  by  sheer  grit  and  obstinacy,'  as  you  Yankees  say ; 
'twas  almost  by  stealing  the  hours  when  I  was  ashore, 
an'  stuffin'  my  kit  with  books  when  I  was  on  a  cruise; 
and   they   weren't  all   on   navigation,   neither ! " 

Here  certainly  was  material  enough  for  the  com- 
position of  airy  structures,  and  foundation  sufficient 
for  day  dreams,  all  of  which  was  utilized  by  the  in- 
teresting and  interested  strangers  from  the  States, 
who  struck  up  a  wonderful  intimacy  with  the  gypsy- 
like maiden. 

Great  was  their  astonishment  at  the  remarkable 
quickness  of  perception  and  the  seemingly  insatiable 
desire  for  learning  which  she  evinced,  reveahng  also 
a  most  amiable  disposition  combined  with  force  of 
character. 

An  heirloom  in  the  Campbell  family,  which  that 
dame  of  the  old  school  had  presented  to  her  bewitch- 
ing young  friend  over  the  river,  was  an  antique 
"  housewife "  from  which  the  supernumerary  pen- 
dants had  been  removed,  leaving  the  tablets  and  pen- 
cil depending  from  their  quaint  silver  chains ;  and 
this  dainty  chatelaine  always  hung  from  the  maiden's 
belt,  and  was  brought  into  constant  use  in  her  com- 
munications with  any  one  but  Barstow.     With  him 


60       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

it  never  seemed  necessary,  such  was  the  ready  un- 
derstanding between  the  two. 

There  was  one  amusing  feature  in  their  inter- 
course ;  that  being  his  strenuous  efforts  to  break  him- 
self of  a  habit  common  among  mariners,  and  uncon- 
sciously contracted  by  him  when  he  was  cabin  boy, — • 
the  habit  of  using  unnecessarily  strong,  not  to  say 
profane,  language.  His  almost  adoring  love  for  the 
daughter  of  his  adoption,  combined  with  the  desire 
that  she  should  learn  nothing  but  what  was  good,  led 
him  to  try  to  conquer  that  habit,  and  in  the  course  of 
the  years  he  had  almost  overcome  it,  so  that  it  was 
only  on  occasions  of  excitement  that  his  own  peculiar 
expressions  (invented  to  take  the  place  of  the  former 
oaths)  could  be  heard.  With  all  his  ruggedness  the 
man  possessed  a  chivalric  and  noble  spirit,  the  most 
exalted  admiration  for  and  ideal  of  woman,  and  a 
truly  devout  nature,  with  a  voice  like  a  fog-horn  in 
denouncing  wrong  or  injustice,  and  a  heart  and  hand 
as  soft  and  gentle  as  a  woman's. 

As  lona's  acquaintance  with  the  sisters  ripened  into 
intimacy  she  joined  them  in  their  rambles,  wherein 
she  and  Martha  naturally  paired  off,  leaving  Gaston 
and  Kate  to  follow;  an  arrangement  which  it  was 
evident  was  quite  satisfactory  to  these  two. 

Donald  Campbell  frequently  happened  along,  in- 
variably joining  the  first-named  pair;  and  in  these 
walks  and  talks  Martha  studied  that  youth,  and 
learned  his  aims  and  worthy  ambitions,  as  his  frank 
nature  scorned  disguise  or  concealment.     It  was  not 


HERON  ISLAND  61 

possible,  either,  for  her  to  mistake  the  character  of  his 
interest  in  the  lovely  girl,  though  she  wisely  kept 
that  knowledge  to  herself,  and  was  apparently  as  in- 
nocent and  unsuspecting  as  the  object  of  the  young 
man's  devotion. 

The  young  Norwegian  meanwhile  had  so  far  pro- 
gressed towards  recovery  as  to  be  able  to  walk  daily, 
with  the  aid  of  crutches,  into  the  little  parlor,  and, 
lying  on  a  couch  by  the  open  casement,  to  bask  in  the 
sunshine,  while  John  discoursed  sagely  or  discussed 
the  news  of  the  day,  or  the  invalid  whiled  away  the 
pleasant  hours  with  books  or  papers.  lona  brought 
her  work  and  sat  by  them,  and  frequently  entered 
laden  with  fruit  and  flowers,  or  discussed  with  the 
young  man  curiosities  from  the  cove,  which  resem- 
bled small  strings  of  flat  buttons  that  had  been  buried 
in  clay  and  needed  washing, —  stems  of  the  sea  lily 
(encrinite),  fossilized  thousands  of  years  ago,  which 
formed  part  of  Barstow's  museum  of  strange  things 
collected  from  all  countries  in  his  travels. 

Gaston  Laurier  had  left  weeks  before  for  Quebec, 
—  though  it  was  not  until  an  imperative  telegram 
summoned  that  he  could  tear  himself  away, — but 
many,  frequent,  and  transparent,  were  his  excuses  for 
almost  daily  missives  to  his  distant  inamorata,  or  re- 
minders of  his  constant  thought  for  her,  Kate  being 
seen  often  wearing  flowers  of  such  rare  beauty  that 
any  one  could  tell  they  never  grew  in  the  village  gar- 
dens. She  was  also  the  recipient  of  fine  baskets  of 
Iruits  and  boxes  of  dainty  confections  with  which  to 


52      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

sweeten  existence,  and  many  times  the  gallant  French- 
man "  ran  down  "  to  stay  over  a  Sunday  at  the  shore ; 
to  recuperate  from  his  arduous  labors,  no  doubt,  by 
change  of  air  and  scene. 

Captain  Kniidsen  had  also  made  several  visits  to, 
and  held  long  conferences  with,  Mr.  Gjerding,  in 
reference  to  the  business  of  the  lumber  company 
which  Eric  represented, —  a  firm  of  wealthy  Norwe- 
gians, of  whom  that  young  man's  father  was  the  one 
representing  the  largest  amount  of  capital, —  and 
Barstow  had  jocosely  inquired  if  the  "  Aldegunde  " 
were  not  pine-ing  to  be  free.  That  great  vessel,  lying 
under  the  lee  of  Point  a  la  Garde,  near  Campbellton, 
was  devouring  vast  quantities  of  timber  and  deals, 
swallowing  it  at  the  two  great  square  ports  which 
stood  open  like  yawning  mouths  in  her  bows,  seem- 
ingly intent  only  on  satisfying  her  apparently  in- 
satiable appetite,  and  caring  naught  for  the  fact  that 
her  place  of  anchorage  had  been  the  site  of  a  naval 
battle,  and  those  peaceful  scenes  had  echoed  war's 
alarms  in  the  last  century,  when  Admiral  Byron  there 
distinguished  himself. 

John's  cares  as  nurse  were  very  considerably 
lightened,  the  patient  being  able  by  this  time  to  move 
about  the  house  and  help  himself.  The  mariner  and 
his  daughter  found  him  a  fascinating  guest.  Eric 
seemed  to  have  evolved  a  method  of  his  own  for  com- 
municating with  the  charming  mute,  and  she  to  pos- 
sess singular  intuition  in  comprehending  him.  Un- 
doubtedly  there   was   wonderful   magnetism   between 


HERON  ISLAND  53 

the  young  Viking  and  the  lovely  maiden,  and  there 
evidently  was  a  particularly  mysterious  understand- 
ing also.  This  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  astute 
John,  and  it  caused  him  to  contemplate  the  two  with 
very  grave  countenance,  though  why  that  should  be 
it  would  be  difficult  to  divine,  for,  if  "  Love's  young 
dream "  was  forming,  certainly  one  might  suppose 
those  interesting  young  people  would  be  just  the  ones 
to  be  so  affected  by  each  other,  and  that  there  could 
be  no  reasonable  objection  if  such  were  the  case. 

The  young  man  from  Megouacha  came  suddenly 
upon  Gjerding  and  lona  seated  quite  close  together 
on  the  porch  of  the  cottage;  proximity  which  was 
natural  in  consideration  of  her  infirmity,  but  both 
were  engaged  in  such  deeply  absorbing  converse  that 
they  were  quite  oblivious  of  his  approach, —  although 
he  stood  transfixed  for  a  moment, —  as  well  as  of  his 
abrupt  departure  when  the  youth  plunged  down  the 
bank,  threw  himself  into  his  boat,  the  "  Jettie,"  and 
rowed  away  as  if  his  life  depended  on  his  reaching 
the  verdant  point  in  the  distance  "  in  less  than  no 
time,"  as  Barstow  would  have  expressed  it. 

Martha,  to  whom  lona  and  Donald  had  become  so 
attached,  found  herself  in  a  trying  position  between 
them,  those  young  people  having  become  strangely 
silent  and  absent.  Though  they  both  affected  her  so- 
ciety, and  her  heart  was  going  out  to  each,  she  knew 
there  was  trouble  somewhere;  yet  she  was  perplexed 
and  felt  her  powerlessness ;  albeit  her  sympathy  and 
tender  interest  were  manifested  in  a  hundred  indefin- 


54       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

able  ways.  One  day  the  sisters  sat  on  the  shore  to- 
wards sunset,—- 

Not  interrupting  with  intrusive  talk 

The  grand  majestic  symphonies  of  ocean, — 

but  both  feeling  a  sense  of  sadness  in  the  thought 
that  they  must  soon  leave  these  blissful  scenes.  A 
thunder  shower  had  passed  over,  and  the  clouds  were 
lifted  just  sufficiently  above  the  horizon  to  permit  the 
long,  slanting  rays  to  flood  the  landscape  with  a  most 
singular  unearthly-seeming  light,  intensifying  the 
hues  of  all  verdure;  while  a  vivid  and  perfect  rain- 
bow completely  spanned  the  Bay,  connecting  the  low 
shores  of  New  Brunswick  with  the  mountain-guarded 
coast  of  the  Province  of  Quebec.  John  Barstow 
came  striding  along  the  beach  towards  the  cove,  wear- 
ing a  rather  perturbed  countenance.  He  met  the 
sisters  just  as  this  celestial  spectacle  presented  itself 
to  their  view;  and  without  uttering  a  word  he  rever- 
ently uncovered  his  head,  and  with  them  stood  gaz- 
ing upward,  all  remaining  in  rapt  silence  till  the  ex- 
quisite colors  had  vanished. 

Again  the  next  afternoon  John  met  the  ladies,  who 
noticed  his  subdued  manner.  After  a  while  he  im- 
parted the  information  that  the  young  Norwegian's 
business  had  been  accomplished,  through  Captain 
Kniidsen,  and  the  time  set  for  the  "  Aldegunde's  " 
departure ;  so  that  in  less  than  a  week  Eric  would  sail 
away  in  the  great  vessel.  The  friends  who  had  been 
so  pleasantly  brought  together  from  such  opposite 
quarters  were  soon  to  separate,  and  even  lively  Mar- 


HERON  ISLAND  55 

tha  became  subdued  at  the  thought.  Arousing  her- 
self, that  irresistible  young  woman  questioned  John 
as  to  the  perturbation  she  had  noticed  in  his  expres- 
sion as  he  came  towards  them,  and  he  replied  with  a 
bubbling  chuckle,  "  Oh,  one  o'  those  gorjis  city  fellers 
sent  me  sailing  orders  that  I  must  steer  in  his  direc- 
tion, and  I  was  curious  to  see  what  my  lord  High 
Tippy-bob  wanted.  Well,  he  came  cruising  down  on 
me,  one  o'  these  sky-scrapers  with  top-gallants  and 
all,  ye  know,  and  every  stitch  o'  canvas  swellin'  like 
zif  he  couldn't  even  see  a  poor  insignificant  tub  like 
mine.  But  I  didn't  scare  worth  a  cent,  and  when 
he  ordered  me  to  take  his  party  out  sailing  to-morrow, 
I  informed  him  plain  as  preacher's  text  that  the 
'  Petrel '  wasn't  fur  hire,  not  fur  the  whole  heft  o' 
his  purse  and  possessions,  and  that  the  only  passen- 
gers she  ever  carried  was  men,  and  not  parodies! 
Oh,  ho !  I  took  the  wind  out  o'  his  sails,  and  he 
looked  zif  I  had  turned  a  broadside  on  him  and  raked 
his  craft  fore  and  aft,  and  he  keeled  over  quicker'n 
I'm  telling  ye.  He  thinks  I'm  a  Dalhousiaji  and  a 
fraud,  I've  no  doubt.  By  jolly,  it  was  funny!  —  I 
beg  your  pardon,  ladies,  that  slipped  out  before  I 
could  catch  it;  it's  only  from  the  teeth  out.  You 
know  my  Jettie  has  cured  me  of  swearing." 

This  seemed  a  propitious  opportunity  for  the 
women  to  lay  siege  to  the  jolly  mariner  in  reference 
to  a  project  of  Mrs.  Newton's,  the  first  suggestion  of 
which  caused  his  countenance  to  exhibit  a  series  of 


56      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

expressions  in  rapid  succession.  First,  blank  amaze- 
ment, then  exultant  delight,  finally  almost  abject  de- 
spair that  rubicund  face  depicted;  as  the  three,  en- 
gaged in  earnest  discourse,  walked  slowly  away  to  a 
secluded  spot  on  rising  ground  overlooking  the  river, 
and  there  the  mysterious  interview  continued  for  an 
hour;  Barstow  finally  leaving  the  sisters  and  con- 
tinuing on  his  way  to  the  village.  With  head  bent 
and  hands  clasped  behind  his  back  he  slowly  paced 
out  of  sight,  leaving  the  sisters  seated  in  silence,  lost 
in  enraptured  contemplation  of  the  sunset  pageant. 
The  nearer  range  of  hills  was  clothed  in  dark  velvety 
green,  blending  into  the  russet  of  rock  and  barren 
slope,  thus  breaking  the  transition  to  the  rich  brown 
red  of  the  following  undulations.  Then  rose  rugged 
giants  in  royal  crimson  and  Tyrian  purple  where  the 
range  parted  slightly,  showing  glimpses  of  far  dis- 
tant summits  of  sapphire,  seemingly  the  portal  of 
some  marvelous  realm  of  enchantment;  and  as  the 
wonder  began  to  fade  the  gentle  voice  of  one  of  the 
sisters  repeated: 

O  gates  of  glory,  stay  open  yet  longer. 
Trembling  I  gaze  at  the  luminous  door, 

Yearning  to  win  but  one  word  from  the  silence. 
Only  one  sign  from  the  answerless  shore ! 

Barstow,  returning  from  the  village,  was  met  by 
the  children,  who  all  knew  the  grand  old  salt,  and, 
swarming  about  him,  wished  to  know,  now  that  dark- 
ness had  fallen,  why  the  shore  was  defined  by  a  silver 
line  of  phosphorescent  foam,  each  wave  becoming  an 


HERON  ISLAND  67 

undulating,  shining  bar  as  it  turned  to  fall  on  the 
pebbles,  while  footsteps  on  the  sand  left  luminous  im- 
pressions. "  Why,  bless  ye,  don't  ye  know  that  light 
comes  from  the  ghosts  of  droT^ned  sailors,  likewise  as 
the  fire-flies  being  the  speerits  o'  the  poor  birdies  that 
the  hunters  shoots  ?  "  They,  however,  received  this 
with  derisive  "  Ohs,"  and,  begging  for  a  story,  he,  to 
gratify  them,  related  a  legend  of  the  Indian  god 
Glooscap,  another  bit  doubtless  picked  up  from  old 
Naboab,  the  ancient  of  the  village.  The  sisters  drew 
near  to  listen  to  the  tale,  which  the  mariner  elabo- 
rated at  great  length,  with  much  picturesque  lan- 
guage, and  with  many  figures  of  speech  and  mar- 
velous imitations  of  whistling  gales,  roaring  tempests 
and  crashing  timbers,  to  which  only  his  powerful 
lungs  and  sturdy  body  could  do  justice. 

He  himself  would  have  said  that  "  the  "gist  of  this, 
biled  down  to  a  pint,"  was,  that  Glooscap  was  a 
beneficent  creature,  always  doing  mighty  deeds  for 
the  good  of  his  people,  and  Mutchoosen  was  his 
servitor,  who  wore  stupendous  wings  of  eagle  feathers. 
Glooscap  feared  that  the  wind  would  harm  his  people, 
and  therefore  bound  the  wings  of  the  Giant  Eagle, 
as  he  was  called;  but  alas,  then  his  people  were 
panting  and  almost  dying  for  want  of  air.  So  the 
god  untied  one  wing  of  Mutchoosen,  and  since  then 
he  fans  the  earth  with  only  one  pinion,  there  being 
therefore  no  more  tornadoes  in  this  region.  The 
Micmacs  are  descendants  of  a  branch  of  the  Algon- 
quins,  who,  living  in  the  East,  bore  a  name  appro- 


58      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

priately  signifying  "  the  break  of  day."  They  were 
of  a  higher  type  than  any  but  the  Hurons,  and 
showed  more  culture  (such  as  it  was)  and  traces  of 
civiHzation,  the  supposition  with  many  scholars  being 
that  this  was  because  of  the  intercourse  of  their  an- 
cestors with  the  Norsemen,  the  earliest  explorers  of 
this  country.  From  the  ancestors  of  the  Micmacs, 
who  bore  the  more  euphonious  title  Souriquois,  such 
legends  have  been  handed  down  as  caused  old  John, 
at  least,  to  declare,  that  Glooscap  and  other  giants 
and  hobgoblins  were,  as  he  expressed  it,  "  built  on  the 
model  "  of  Norse  mythology. 

The  "  Aldegunde "  had  remained  in  port  longer 
than  was  absolutely  necessary  for  taking  on  her 
cargo,  her  master  taking  the  opportunity  to  have 
calking  done  and  repairs  made  before  starting  on  the 
long  return  voyage;  the  antique  vessel  also  appeared 
quiet  rejuvenated  in  a  fresh  coat  of  paint.  Mean- 
while Captain  Knijdsen  had  been  sojourning  in  Dal- 
housie,  and  one  day,  on  finding  two  of  his  men 
loafing  in  the  village,  he  took  it  into  his  head  to 
have  them  row  him  around  to  the  Cove  for  another 
conference  with  Gjerding.  While  the  interview  be- 
tween those  two  men  was  taking  place  the  two  sailors 
sauntered  down  to  the  beach.  They  were  ill-favored 
specimens,  with  heavy,  sullen  faces,  and  seemed  to  be 
at  odds  with  each  other,  to  judge  by  their  growling, 
muttered  sentences.  Their  voices  were  evidently  pur- 
posely lowered  almost  to  a  whisper,  though  each  grew 
so  angry  now  and  then  that  their  tones  burst  out 


HERON  ISLAND  69 

in  an  explosive  oath  or  sharp  word;  which,  had  any 
one  been  Hstening,  would  have  caused  wonder  as  to 
the  cause  of  dispute  or  trouble. 

Evidently  some  carefully-planned  scheme  was  being 
discussed,  and  when  either  raised  his  voice  in  excite- 
ment or  profanity,  both  suddenly  became  silent  and 
gazed  around  with  guilty  air.  As  the  sunset  glow 
deepened,  the  sailors  in  their  heated  discussion  hap- 
pened to  move  and  stand  so  that  their  figures  and 
faces  were  brought  out  in  sharpest  relief  against  the 
radiant  sky ;  and  little  did  they  dream  that  they  were 
watched,  despite  their  frequent  and  careful  glances 
in  all  directions ;  for  lona's  figure,  in  the  brown  dress 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Gate  of  Fossil  Cove,  became 
so  nearly  the  color  of  the  rock  as  to  be  practically  in- 
visible. She  had  at  first  looked  upon  the  intruders 
with  indifference,  but  all  at  once  became  intensely  in- 
terested in  watching  them,  until,  leaning  forward 
with  hands  so  tightly  clasped  that  they  seemed  rigid, 
and  fairly  panting  with  suppressed  excitement,  she 
seemed  to  devour  with  her  eyes  those  faces,  so  sharply 
silhouetted  against  the  glowing  sky.  At  last  she 
shrank  back  against  the  cliff  as  if  struck  by  a  blow, 
and  in  great  agitation  unconsciously  threw  up  one 
hand  to  support  herself  by  clinging  to  the  side  of 
the  arch. 

The  movement  loosened  from  a  fissure  a  bit  of 
stone  which  fell  with  a  sound  seemingly  as  loud  as 
the  report  of  a  gun,  and  the  two  repulsive-looking 
villains  instantly  turned  and  espied  her.     Making  a 


60      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

frantic  rush,  each  grasped  her  by  an  arm  with  a  grip 
like  that  of  a  wild  animal  and  shook  the  slender, 
graceful  figure  so  mercilessly  that  it  swayed  like  a 
reed  in  a  gale,  while  four  murderous  eyes  glared 
upon  her  pale  face.  She  made  no  sound  or  eifoi-t  to 
free  herself,  but  gazed  blankly  at  the  wicked  faces 
with  a  countenance  from  which  every  vestige  of  in- 
telligence and  expression  seemed  utterly  wiped  out; 
a  face  which  Barstow  himself  would  hardly  have 
recognized,  and  a  stranger  would  have  pronounced 
imbecile.  A  most  astounding  piece  of  acting  this, 
which  her  ready  perception  and  quick  wit  promoted 
in  such  emergency,  and  of  which  she  would  not  have 
believed  herself  capable. 

The  taller  man  of  the  two  exclaimed  with  an  oath, 
"  She's  heard  it  all ! "  hissing  the  words  between  his 
teeth  in  suppressed  tones,  to  which  the  other  re- 
plied, with  similar  preface,  "  Don't  you  see  she's  an 
idjut.?  It's  the  old  skipper's  stoopid  dumb  darter, 
blast  her !  "  dropping  the  arm  he  held  with  an  air 
of  disgust,  and  yet  of  relief ;  the  other  doing  likewise, 
just  as  a  hail  from  the  cottage,  in  Captain  Knudsen's 
well-known  tones,  caused  both  the  rascals  to  turn 
hastily ;  and,  after  shaking  their  fists  at  the  girl,  they 
made  their  way  rapidly  back  to  their  boat  on  the 
shore.  In  a  few  moments  they  were  rowing  the  ship- 
master around  the  point  towards  the  village,  and 
lona  might  almost  have  believed  that  the  whole  scene 
had  been  a  horrible  nightmare. 

She  fell  back  on  the  sand,   remaining  motionless 


General  Romanoze. 


HERON  ISLAND  61 

for  perhaps  a  quarter  hour,  almost  overcome  by, 
faintness  caused  by  reaction  from  the  tense  strain ; 
but  she  soon  aroused  herself  and  walked  slowly  back 
to  the  cottage,  where  Barstow  was  not  to  be  found, 
and  Gjerding  was  dozing  on  his  couch.  She  pro- 
ceeded in  the  direction  of  the  village,  meeting  John 
half-way  beyond  the  lighthouse.  Seeing  at  once  her 
agitation,  he  drew  her  hand  through  his  arm,  and  led 
her  along,  striving  to  quiet  her  by  his  tender, 
soothing  manner,  and  displaying  the  utmost  solici- 
tude, lona,  indicating  that  she  wished  to  go  down 
under  the  beacon,  where  one  of  the  great  stone  faces 
loomed  above  the  river  brink,  he  carefully  led  her 
to  that  spot.  The  air  had  rather  suddenly  developed 
a  nipping  chill,  as  he  would  have  expressed  it,  but 
here  they  would  be  shielded  and  alone  in  the  moon- 
light, the  guests  of  the  great  house  having  been 
driven  to  the  shelter  of  the  porches  or  within  its 
walls.  Then,  by  means  of  her  own  peculiar  signs, 
she  related  the  episode  of  the  cove,  the  hardy  seafarer 
translating  her  story  in  undertone,  as  if  repeating 
words  after  her,  displaying  amazement  which  worked 
up  to  a  great  pitch  of  excitement. 

"  You  were  in  the  cove  when  two  sailors  were  dis- 
puting and  quarreling.  You  watched  them,  wonder- 
ing what  the  fuss  was  about.  When  the  sky  got  red 
and  all  shining-like,  it  showed  their  faces ;  yes,  all  ^ 
cut  out  clear  agin  it,  so  you  could  see  what  they  said? 


1  As   proof  of  the  value  of  instruction   in   lip-reading  and 
articulation  for  the  deaf,  a  so-called  "  deaf  mute "  translated. 


62      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Oh,  ho!  One  said  he  tripped  up  Mr.  Gjerding  on  the 
ship  so  the  other  could  rob  him  of  a  '  big  lot  swag ' 
(that's  money),  and  that  they'd  'greed  to  diwy  on 
it '  when  they  diskivered  he  wore  a  big  money  belt. 
(Burn  'em!)  "  The  girl  gently  laid  her  hand  on  his 
arm  in  remonstrance,  and  continued  her  pantomime. 
"  The  other  said  he  didn't  mean  to  take  the  belt  till 
they  were  coming  into  port,  so  they  could  sneak  away 
arterards,  but  the  first  fellow  had  been  so  stupid  and 
in  such  a  hurry,  and  tried  to  rob  him  when  they  were 
out  at  sea,  and  so  made  all  the  mischief?  You 
couldn't  make  out  all  they  said  because  they  used 
words  you  didn't  know?  (Blasphemous  scoundrels !  ) 
Bless  you,  my  precious,  may  you  never  know  such 
language  as  they  used !  'Twas  worse  nor  my  talk  be- 
fore you  reformed  me,  I'll  go  bail.  What?  The 
first  man  said  he  would  get  the  yellow  bob  yet,  and 
knew  where  to  look;  they  will  have  it  yet?  (The 
rascallions,  scurvy  brutes,  perfidjus  scalawags!  )  " 
Growing  more  and  more  excited  he  seemed  in  danger 
of  falling  back  into  the  habit  of  his  early  years ;  but 
when  the  girl  raised  a  warning  finger  he  excused  him- 
self hurriedly  on  the  plea :  "  I'm  only  quoting 
Shakespeare;  and  plain  English  wouldn't  suit  such  a 
case.  Why,  I'm  just  biling  over,  and  couldn't  help 
letting  off  steam  a  bit.  They  have  it  all  planned  how 
to  get  it.     Will  rob  my  house  —  yes  —  and  kill  — 


audibly,  sentences  spoken  by  an  invisible  person,  whose  shadow, 
in  profile,  was  projected  upon  a  white  sfcreen^  This  (radiibition 
was  hield  in  a  large  hall  in  Philadelphia. 


HERON  ISLAND  63 

someone  —  if  they  must?"  In  his  excitement  he 
started  up,  but  sat  down  again  on  a  great  rock; 
thumping  liis  knee  with  that  iron  fist  he  exclaimed, 
"  Vile,  groveling  wretches !  Scorch  'em !  Drown- 
ing is  too  good  for  'em.  Such  knavery  —  ras- 
cality —  deviltry  —  " 

Here  a  small  finger  was  held  against  his  lip  for 
an  instant,  while  two  beautiful  fawn-like  eyes  gazed 
into  his  reproachfully.  "  No,"  he  burst  out  again, 
"  though  I'm  saying  all  I  can  lay  my  tongue  to,  I'm 
not  swearing!  I  should  burst  if  I  didn't  say  some- 
thing. What.?  What.f*  they,  scurrilous  poltroons, 
dared  touch  you  with  their  impious  beastly  paws.?  — 
(the  reptiles!  oh,  sizzle  'em!) — turned  their  foul- 
mouthed  words  on  you?  (The  caitiffs!)  O  me 
dearling,  O  my  joy  of  life,  my  pure-souled  angel !  It 
cuts  me  to  the  core  o'  me  heart  to  hear  this,  and 
to  think  that  /  wasn't  there!  Still  more  to  tell? 
Quick,  what  is  it?  " 

Then  her  few  swift,  graceful  motions  told  how 
the  villains  had  been  summoned  by  the  Captain's  call 
just  as  they  discovered  her  to  be  deaf,  and,  as  they 
supposed,  not  only  dumb,  but  idiotic.  The  hardy 
mariner  dropped  on  the  sand  at  her  feet,  doubled 
up  with  laughter  in  a  state  of  almost  hysterical  col- 
lapse; and  his  words,  disjointed  as  if  forced  out  of 
his  round  body  by  sudden  pressure,  burst  out  explo- 
sively :  "So  —  you  —  played  —  the  —  f  oo  — 
oo  —  ool?  Oh,  oh,  oh,"  —  ending  almost  with  a 
scream,  —  "  and  you  sent  'em  off  with  wasps  in  their 


64       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ears !  Oh,  yes,  yes ;  they'll  find  it  is  a  bold  flea  that 
makes  his  breakfast  on  the  lion's  lip,  and  they  haven't 
got  beyond  the  reach  o'  this  old  sea-dog's  claw  yet. 
I  know  a  game  worth  two  of  theirs,  or  my  name's  not 
Jack  Barstow.  They  ought  to  be  strung  up  at  the 
yard  arm ! " 

Starting  up  again  he  drew  the  girl  toward  him, 
throwing  his  right  arm  over  her  shoulder,  and,  hold- 
ing her  left  hand  in  his,  they  turned  their  faces 
toward  his  cottage.  Now  and  then  he  nodded  his 
head  as  in  approval  of  some  plan  he  was  evolving, 
but  made  no  other  sign  or  motion  until  they  reached 
the  door  of  his  domicile.  Then,  before  stepping 
over  the  threshold,  he  stopped  an  instant,  facing  lona, 
pointed  with  left  forefinger  to  his  broad  chest,  and 
with  the  right  touched  his  lips. 

The  next  night  there  was  to  be  an  entertainment 
at  the  hotel;  and  the  sisters,  on  the  plea  of  their 
early  departure,  had  so  urgently  begged  Barstow's 
household  to  attend,  that  there  was  no  withstanding 
them,  even  the  convalescent  consenting  to  present 
himself  as  spectator.  Young  Campbell  hovered 
around  near  lona;  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
was  rather  stiff  and  formal  in  manner  to  Mr. 
Gjerding,  whose  magnificent  presence  caused  quite  a 
flutter  among  the  women  guests  of  the  hotel.  Music, 
song  and  laughter  floated  out  on  the  night  air, 
greeting  the  ears  of  Barstow,  returning  from  an 
errand  to  the  village,  and  tempted  him  to  stop  and 
gaze  in  on  the  lively  scene  from  the  broad  piazza; 


The  Laughing  Faun. 


HERON  ISLAND  65 

he  having  declared  that  his  "  sea  toggery  "  was  quite 
unsuitable  to  come  in  contact  with  silks  and  furbe- 
lows, notwithstanding  that  his  suit  of  navy  blue  was 
invariably  immaculately  neat,  and  his  fine,  strong 
face  and  manly  presence  would  have  graced  any  as- 
sembly. After  gazing  in  with  a  face  which  beamed 
love  and  all  beatitudes  on  his  fair  daughter,  whom 
his  eyes  followed  about  adoringly,  a  sudden  thought 
seemed  to  strike  him,  and  he  hastily  strode  off  to  the 
lighthouse  point,  whence  he  made  a  rapid  survey; 
then,  returning  to  the  piazza,  he  quietly  signaled  to 
Donald  to  bring  Kate  Newton  outside,  and  the  two, 
leaving  lona  in  Mrs.  Allston's  care,  slipped  away 
without  attracting  attention. 

John  explained  to  fair  Kate  that  unexpected  busi- 
ness would  oblige  him  to  be  absent  all  night,  so  he 
would  request  that  lona  remain  over  night  at  the  hotel 
with  the  sisters.  The  lady  acquiesced  in  this  plan, 
and  was  shown  back  to  her  seat  by  Donald,  who,  ex- 
cusing himself,  rejoined  the  mariner.  That  person, 
saying,  "  Be  ready  when  I  whistle ! "  strode  away 
toward  the  cove.  He  returned  speedily,  however,  and 
grasped  the  young  man's  elbow,  exclaiming,  "  Don, 
the  '  Petrel's '  gone!  Stolen !  Yes,  broil  'em !  I 
know  all  about  it;  I  expected  as  much,  though  I 
didn't  think  they'd  be  so  previous  about  it.  They're 
mean,  low-lived,  hang-dog  rascals, —  not  sailors ;  they 
disgrace  the  name  of  honest  blue- jackets.  Miscre- 
ants !  Gallows-birds !  Come,  we'll  get  the  Frenchys 
and  the  Injuns,  and  then  we'll  race  'em! " 


66      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Donald  had  been  hurried  along  so  that  he  was  al- 
most breathless ;  now  he  remarked,  "  We  dare  not 
take  the  lighthouse  sloop,  but  my  father's  friend 
Carlin  came  in  in  his  yacht  from  Gaspe  just  after 
sunset;  he's  at  the  hotel,  and  his  men  off  duty.  My 
'  Jettie  '  is  moored  at  the  head  of  the  Laughing  Faun ; 
and  after  we  get  the  four  fellows  we'll  row  out  to 
the  '  Swiftsure  '  and  take  her.  I'll  be  responsible ; 
you  can  sail  any  craft  that  floats,  and  shall  be 
captain  of  this  expedition,  —  and  tell  me  the  whole 
story  of  this  matter  as  we  go."  With  a  young 
man's  love  of  adventure,  full  of  enthusiasm,  ardent 
in  the  cause  of  friendship,  eager  that  his  stanch  old 
comrade's  boat  should  be  restored,  Donald  was  ready 
for  anything.  But  when  they  were  fairly  started, 
and  sailing  away  right  gallantly,  John,  on  revealing 
to  his  young  friend  the  whole  story,  gazed  at  the 
bright,  frank  face  with  curiously  intent  eyes. 
Donald  silently  stepped  aside,  and  stood  for  some 
time  leaning  against  one  of  the  masts,  waging  silent 
war  with  himself;  his  hands  thrust  deep  into  his 
pockets,  teeth  set,  head  bent,  and  eyes  gazing  so 
intently  at  the  deck  that  Barstow  informed  himself 
they  "  looked  like  'zif  they'd  bore  holes  in  the 
plankin.'  " 

So  it  was  still  the  handsome  and  popular  Norwe- 
gian who  was  at  the  root  of  all  the  trouble.'' 

Two  sailors  had  broken  his  leg  in  trying  to  rob 
him.  They  had  now  made  off  with  Gjerding's 
money-belt  —  and     Barstow's     boat     besides.     How 


HERON  ISLAND  67 

heartily  he  wished  the  Norwegian  back  safe  in  his 
own  country  and  home,  —  surely  that  was  wishing 
him  well !  —  and  wishing  well  to  others,  too ;  for  all 
would  be  well  if  he  were  away,  or —  (this  he  added 
doubtfully,  even  in  thus  communing  with  his  inner 
man)  — all  might  have  been  well  if  he'd  never  come: 
but  now  ?  It  was  the  very  irony  of  fate  1  John, 
meanwhile,  was  narrowly  watching  his  young  friend, 
with  sympathetic  yet  searching  eyes;  and  his 
thoughts,  if  put  into  words,  would  have  summed  up : 
— "  So  you'd  luff  and  bear  away  a  bit?  Well,  I  un- 
derstand. No  doubt  about  it;  tossed  on  a  sea  of 
mixed  emotions.  Weather  getting  dirty,  heavy  cross 
seas ;  aye,  but  he's  weathered  the  storm !  I  knew  he'd 
breast  it;  too  stanch  a  craft,  that,  to  be  swamped! 
Bless  ye,  my  hearty ! "  with  a  resounding  slap  on  his 
knee  as  young  Campbell,  with  a  long  sigh,  aroused 
himself,  and  thenceforward  entered  apparently  into 
the  spirit  of  the  nocturnal  expedition  with  as  much 
zest  as  the  sturdy  tar  and  the  French  and  Indian 
athletes,  who  seemed  to  look  upon  the  affair  quite  as  a 
lark.  Even  Nature  seemed  in  league  with  the  "  Swift- 
sure  ; "  first  one  of  her  downy  coverlets  was  unrolled 
and  spread  over  the  Bay,  then  misty  curtains  were 
dropped  over  the  too  brilliant  moon.  Thus  the 
thieves  were  kept  in*  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  their 
flight  had  been  discovered  and  that  they  were  pur- 
sued. As  the  yacht  rounded  Heron  Island,  the  sharp 
eye  of  BarstoAv  caught  sight  of  the  w^hite  wing  of 
the  "  Petrel "  under  Cortereal's  Rock,  just  at  the  in- 


68      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

stant  that  the  wind,  which  had  been  veering  round, 
wafted  aside  the  fleecy  curtain,  and  permitted  fair 
Luna  to  enlighten  both  parties  of  nocturnal  visitants. 

Surprise,  seizure,  surrender,  conviction,  followed 
in  natural  order ;  the  detention  of  the  "  Aldegunde  " 
being  a  natural  sequence,  that  the  captain  and  Gjerd- 
ing  might  testify ;  and  although  this  entailed  still 
longer  sojourn  (and  in  such  dangerous  proximity)  on 
the  part  of  his  rival,  Donald's  best  nature  had  tri- 
umphed, and  he  bore  the  infliction  with  equanimity. 

Meantime  the  great  secret  had  been  divulged  by 
Martha, —  the  matter  so  earnestly  discussed  between 
Barstow  and  his  sisters, —  and  it  had  been  decided 
that  lona  should  accompany  the  ladies  on  their  re- 
turn to  Massachusetts,  where  she  was  to  attend  school 
for  eighteen  months,  residing  with  Mrs.  Newton. 
The  day  on  which  the  Norwegian  ship  sailed  away 
also  saw  the  departure  of  the  sisters  with  lona.  Dr. 
Laurier,  coming  down  from  Quebec  to  escort  them, 
having  induced  them  to  make  a  brief  sojourn  in  that 
quaint  city,  and  take  the  more  direct  route  thence  to 
the  States.  John  kept  up  bravely  to  the  last,  declar- 
ing earnestly  that  it  was  his  "  top-lofty-most  desire," 
as  he  jocosely  expressed  it,  for  lona  to  have  "  such  a 
polishing  off^ ; "  but  when  the  train  was  fairly  out  of 
sight  the  old  hero  turned  speechless  and  with  swim- 
ming eyes  on  Donald,  wringing  his  hand  with  iron 
grip  as  in  token  that  they  must  now  be  more  than 
ever  to  each  other. 

Then   there   came   the   letters;   three    and   four   a 


HERON  ISLAND  69 

week,  "  and  by  the  fathom  length,"  John  said ;  in 
which  the  absent  one  told  of  her  studies,  of  the  de- 
lights of  wonderful  realms  of  art  and  literature,  the 
charms  of  congenial  and  inspiring  association,  too ; 
but  through  all  the  true  heart  unswervingly  turned 
to  the  dear  foster-father,  and  longed  for  the  time 
when  they  would  meet  again.  If  a  letter  of  his  had 
seemed  "  rather  shading  on  the  indigoes,"  as  he  said, 
she  would  enumerate  the  weeks  already  past  as  en- 
couragement, and  in  mischievous  mimicry  of  his 
phraseology  quote  his  nautical  language,  "  keep  your 
luff  and  don't  let  her  fall  off ; "  or  remark  that  her 
letter  was  "  as  long  as  the  maintop-bowline  and  jib 
down-haul  bent  onto  each  other ; "  or,  ''  There,  now, 
you'll  say,  '  Belay  your  jaw,  coil  it  up  and  stow  it 
away,'  so  I'll  wind  up  my  yarn  and  go  to  my  studies." 
Fairly  beaming  with  pride  John  and  the  "  Bunsby  " 
or  "  Petrel "  conveyed  the  letters  to  Megouacha,  that 
his  friends,  the  Campbells,  might  enjoy  them  too; 
this  becoming  such  a  regular  custom  that  they  knew 
just  when  to  look  for  their  old  friend.  If  Donald 
were  always  rather  silent  at  such  times,  no  one  no- 
ticed it,  all  being  absorbed  in  the  sprightly  narratives, 
and  in  John's  delight,  which  metaphorically  brimmed 
over  and  flooded  the  house. 

One  week  there  was  no  letter,  but  in  place  of  it  a 
package  by  express,  and  a  newspaper,  in  which  an 
article  was  marked  by  zigzag  and  startling  red  pen- 
cil lines.  This  John  handed  to  Donald,  who  read 
aloud,  under  the  heading,  "  Art  Notes :  "  "  We  take 


70      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

especial  pleasure  in  calling  attention  to  the  work  of  a 
pupil  of  the  school  for  the  deaf  at  Northampton. 
This  is  on  exhibition  at  Schonfeld's  gallery,  and,  it 
seems  to  us,  evinces  very  promising  talent  and  remark- 
able ability.  The  young  woman  has  of  her  own  ac- 
cord adopted  a  line  of  study  and  work  which  particul- 
arly interests  us,  apart  from  its  undoubted  genius,  as 
we  have  always  advocated  and  strongly  urged  upon 
our  artists  and  sculptors  the  representation  of  charac- 
teristics of  our  own  country  and  people.  These  fig- 
urines are  astonishingly  full  of  spirit  and  character; 
one  represents  a  hunter  on  snow-shoes,  with  game 
slung  over  his  shoulder,  as  he  strides  through  the 
forest;  another  a  young  fisherman  just  landing  a 
salmon, —  the  figure  alert  with  life,  the  pose  admir- 
able; and  still  another  shows  the  physician  of  some 
backwoods  settlement,  evidently  on  an  errand  of  life 
and  death,  looking  out  anxiously  from  a  canoe  which  a 
sturdy  woodsman  seems  to  be  propelling  through 
rapids." 

Still  more  of  this  was  there,  the  paragrapher  wax- 
ing eloquent  on  the  subject;  and  great  was  the  sur- 
prise of  the  four  as  the  young  man  read  on.  But 
when  the  package  was  opened  all  were  struck  dumb 
for  an  instant,  for  there  appeared  John  Barstow's 
grand  head  in  miniature ;  every  line  and  lineament  of 
the  spirited  and  speaking  face  in  alto  relievo,  so  true 
and  strong  that  one  would  not  have  a  shade  of  altera- 
tion made.  No  one  was  more  amazed  than  the  sub- 
ject himself,  whose  e^^es  fairly  dilated  with  astonish- 


HERON  ISLAND  71 

ment.  Bringing  his  hard  pahns  together  with  a  re- 
sounding clap,  he  fairly  shouted,  "  Belaying  pins  and 
marline  spikes  1  Blue  blazes  and  gunpowder!  If 
that  witch  hasn't  been  taking  me  off!  Dearest 
Heart;  O  my  Beauty,  didn't  I  allers  say  you  was  a 
genius?  Now  I  see  why  you  were  so  partikeler  to 
have  my  best  photo  to  take  away  with  you." 

Gaston  Laurier  would  claim  his  bonny  Kate  in 
May;  lona  would  assist  on  that  occasion  as  maid  of 
honor;  then  the  bride  and  groom,  with  Mrs.  Allston 
and  her  fair  protege,  would  travel  northward  to- 
gether; the  two  latter  proceeding  as  fast  as  steam 
could  carry  them  to  the  head  of  La  Baie  des  Cha- 
leurs. 

Then  such  bustle  as  there  was  in  "  The  Bunk," 
as  John  called  his  cottage !  "  I  must  swab  the  decks 
and  holystone  'em,  and  get  all  ship-shape,"  said  he, 
though  all  was  even  then  immaculate. 

At  last  the  great  day  swung  round  on  time's  cal- 
endar; Mrs.  Campbell  was  engaged  in  decorating  the 
rooms  of  the  cottage  with  vines  and  flowers  from  her 
conservatory, —  it  being  early  j^et  for  such  variety  of 
garden  posies, —  and  the  apartments  wore  quite  a 
festal  air  and  were  redolent  with  perfume,  just  at  the 
time  that  a  sweet-faced  woman  and  fair  young  girl 
alighted  from  the  train,  and  a  voice  which  was  not 
Mrs.  Allston's  greeted  John.  That  grand  specimen 
of  Nature's  noblemen,  who  had  faced  unnumbered 
dangers  unflinchingly,  appeared  utterly  dazed  or  stul- 
tified, until  the  same  sweet  tones  enunciated,  "  My 


73      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Father ! "  when,  with  a  great  sweep  of  the  powerful 
arms,  he  drew  her  to  him  and  rained  tears  upon  the 
lovely  face.  When  released  from  that  wide-armed, 
devouring  embrace,  lona  beheld  her  playmate,  Don- 
ald, standing  close  at  hand,  pale  with  agitation,  and 
bending  on  her  the  most  absorbing  gaze.  Turning  at 
once,  with  perfectly  artless  manner,  she  extended 
both  hands,  saying,  "  My  good  friend,  too  !  " —  to 
him  the  sweetest  sounds  that  ever  fell  on  mortal  ear. 
Martha  was  quite  content  to  be  overlooked  till  the 
first  greetings  were  over,  but  was  not  permitted  to 
feel  in  the  slightest  degree  neglected ;  and  as  the  party 
were  being  bowled  along  in  a  comfortable  carriage  to 
Fossil  Cove,  the  story  was  told  of  the  marvelous  suc- 
cess of  a  famous  aurist  in  restoring  lona's  sense  of 
hearing,  after  which  her  power  of  speech  quickly  de- 
veloped, lona  "  beamed  like  a  May  morning,"  John 
said,  and  certainly  his  own  face  was  radiant,  his  eyes 
fairly  scintillating  as  he  listened  to  the  happy  girl's 
reminiscences  and  anecdotes  of  city  life.  "  The 
strangest  thing,"  said  she,  "  was  the  manner  in  which 
people  unconsciously  took  me  into  their  confidence. 
When  I  sat  at  one  end  of  a  street  railway  car,  and 
two  people  at  the  other  end  were  whispering  so  their 
next  neighbors  could  not  hear  what  was  said,  I,  read- 
ing their  lips,  knew  what  they  were  talking  about. 
Positively  it  was  startling,  and  made  me  feel  so 
queer ;  I  used  generally  to  gaze  out  of  the  window  for 
fear  I  should  catch  myself  in  some  mean  intrusion. 
People  talked  about  me,  too,"  she  continued  with  a 


HERON  ISLAND  78 

laugh,  *'  when  I  was  going  to  and  from  Dr.  Nikkola's 
office,  when  he  was  treating  my  ears.  There  was 
stiffness  of  the  jaw,  so  sometimes  I  wore  a  strap  (cov- 
ered with  velvet)  around  my  head;  and  the  women 
wondered  if  I  had  toothache  or  lockjaw,  the  men  say- 
ing, '  There's  one  woman  who  can  hold  her  tongue, 
but  only  because  she  has  to ! '  It  was  rather  embar- 
rassing, though  they  little  dreamed  that  I  was  trans- 
lating their  whispers."  The  mariner  made  an  em- 
phatic gesture  and  looked  very  much  as  if  he  would 
have  punched  some  one,  if  lie  had  been  there. 

Now  they  drew  up  at  the  door  of  the  Bunk,  where 
there  was  another  affecting  meeting  between  the  par- 
ents Campbell  and  lona.  As  these  greetings  were 
being  exchanged  the  grand  old  salt  had  an  opportu- 
nity for  a  few  words  with  his  guest,  as  he  helped  her 
to  alight.  Looking  with  frank  admiration  on  the 
sweet  face,  the  true-hearted  man  said,  "  Nature  has 
done  a  great  deal  for  you,  my  dear  lady  "  (Mrs.  Alls- 
ton  mentally  decided  that  this  was  the  most  graceful 
compliment  she  had  ever  received),  "  and  you  have 
done  more  for  me  and  mine  than  could  be  repaid  in 
a  lifetime.  I  am  not  even  going  to  try  to  thank  ye ; 
for  I  know  your  big  heart  prompted  all,  and  you 
know  a'ready  the  joy  you've  been  the  means  of  giv- 
ing.    There's  One  above  will  repay  and  bless  you." 

In  the  joy  of  reunion  and  the  excitement  of  the 
first  days  at  home  one  little  thing  had  been  over- 
looked; but  one  day  lona  discovered  a  thick  letter 
with  foreign  stamps  and  postmark  which  might  have 


74       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

caused  His  Majesty's  officials  to  stammer,  mentally, 
as  they  read  the  name, —  Skjervoer, —  a  letter  which 
had  caused  both  John  and  Donald  considerable  dis- 
turbance of  mind.  Was  the  handsome  young  lover 
over  the  sea  already  throwing  out  a  lure  to  draw 
away  again  their  dearest  treasure,  of  which  they  had 
been  so  long  deprived,  and  which  was  but  just  re- 
stored to  them?  Martha's  face  wore  an  expression 
of  interest  as  lona  broke  the  seal,  but  the  men  both 
looked  extremely  grave  until  she  read  aloud  Eric's 
announcement  of  his  marriage,  and  confessed  that 
she  had  all  the  time  been  his  confidante.  Then  John, 
without  a  word,  stepped  across  the  pretty  parlor, 
and,  unnoticed  by  all  but  the  young  man,  touched 
Donald  on  the  shoulder  with  unmistakably  significant 
gesture,  and  strode  out  the  door  and  down  to  the 
shore.  Martha,  with  the  ready  perception  of  a 
woman,  a  minute  before  had  vanished  up  the  stair- 
way ;  and  only  the  rhythmic  plash  of  the  surf  and  the 
soft  rustle  of  young  foliage  could  be  heard,  as  "  the 
old,  old  story  was  told  again." 


Note. — "  Barstow "  is  a  memory  sketch  of  Captain  John 
Maginn,  late  pilot  of  New  York,  a  rather  remarkable  man,  and 
an  original  character.  He  was  a  friend  of  Ericsson's,  and  it 
was  by  his  ingenious  contrivance  that  the  Monitor  was  floated 
when  her  launching  threatened  to  be  disastrous.  He  was  sin- 
gularly reluctant  to  have  any  one  else  use  his  boat,  and  in  the 
"blizzard"  of  1888  the  "Enchantress,"  fortunately  without 
crew,  was  carried  out  to  sea  and  lost.  The  writer  possesses 
a  silver  cup,  presented  to  a  mutual  friend  by  the  old  salt,  on 
which  a  peculiarly  mystical  figure  is  engraved,  apparently 
guarding  "  No.  18,"  to  which  she  points. 


«  MAREE-^ff 


78 


«  MAREE-^£r  " 

AT  4  a.  m.,  August  — ,  189  — ,  Mrs.  Ellersley 
felt  decidedly  ruffled  as  she  stood  on  a  pier  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Restigouche  River,  sur- 
rounded by  a  group  of  young  people, —  her  five  nieces 
and  a  nephew  of  nineteen, —  whom  she  had  rashly  un- 
dertaken to  chaperon  in  their  summer  vacation,  in 
which  the  present  long-talked-of  excursion  to  Gaspe 
was  to  be  the  principal  feature.  These  young  people, 
when  planning  their  holiday  tour,  had  rejoiced  at 
having  secured  this  bulwark  of  propriety,  the  least  of 
whose  virtues  was  that  she  was  so  unassertive  that  she 
could  easily  be  overruled,  and  Mrs.  Grundy  thus  be 
propitiated,  while  they  virtually  would  have  their  own 
way.  Blue,  gray  and  irate  were  the  countenances 
gazing  out  at  the  leaden-tinted  water;  the  first  hue 
caused  by  the  chilling  wind,  the  second  by  apprehen- 
sion of  the  cheerless  voyage  in  prospect,  while  the  lack 
of  amiability  was  owing  to  being  summoned  at  "  such 
an  unearthly  hour." 

Corporations  have  no  souls,  schedules  are  prepared 
with  slight  regard  for  the  comfort  of  weak  mortals; 
rising  at  an  unreasonable  hour  and  a  hurried  break- 
fast are  not  the  best  preparation  for  a  voyage  of  six- 
teen to  eighteen  hours,  and  the  promise  of  a  better 

77 


78      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

time-table  for  next  year  is  poor  consolation  under 
such  circumstances. 

Amy  and  Mildred,  being  poor  sailors,  and  haunted 
by  recollections  of  former  water  trips  which  turned 
out  disastrously  for  them, —  so  far  as  any  pleasure 
was  concerned, —  had  with  difficulty  been  persuaded  to 
join  in  this  one,  and  only  on  the  assertion  of  a  resi- 
dent of  the  region  that  the  northwest  wind  prevails 
on  the  Baie  des  Chaleurs,  and  that,  so  long  as  it  sits 
in  that  quarter,  calm  seas  may  be  promised  with  cer- 
tainty. 

Poor,  placid  Aunt  Jemima,  as  the  girls  wickedly 
called  Mrs.  Ellersley, —  whose  Christian  name  was 
Rebecca, —  had  been  dragged  to  the  pier  mildly  pro- 
testing, and  questioning  Jim  who,  being  great  on 
statistics,  was  known  among  the  party,  as  the  Figure 
Head. 

"  What  time  do  you  call  it?  " 

'*  This  village  is  rather  old-fashioned  and  conserva- 
tive, and  still  runs  itself  by  local  time,  while  the 
trains  and  boats  go  by  standard  time,  the  difference 
between  local  and  standard  time  being  three-quarters 
of  an  hour.  The  clock  at  our  hotel  indicates  an  hour 
half-way  between  the  two,  and  my  watch,  not  having 
been  changed  since  we  left  home,  does  not  agree  with 
either;  therefore,  we  shall  have  to  split  the  difference 
and  take  our  choice." 

The  girls  remarked  that  they  did  not  care  for  time, 
but  were  bound  to  have  a  good  time  anyhow,  and 
"  spite  the  weather."     Just  at  that  moment  the  trim 


"  MAREB-AH  "  79 

steamer  "  Admiral  "  made  up  to  the  pier,  and,  as  Jim 
marched  on  board,  watch  in  hand,  Meg,  looking  over 
his  shoulder,  exclaimed,  "  Why,  Jim,  your  watch  has 
stopped !  "  Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  replied : 
"  Well,  I've  told  you  what  time  it  ought  to  be,  and 
this  is  the  best  watch  to  be  found  in  the  United 
States,  to  say  nothing  of  Canada."  Mrs.  Ellersley 
learned  that  she  was  to  be  installed  in  the  most  com- 
modious stateroom,  and  the  party,  in  more  serene 
state  of  mind  at  being  actually  off,  seated  themselves 
on  the  forward  deck.  To  the  left,  beyond  the  wide 
estuary  of  the  river,  a  long  point  reaches  out  into  the 
bay;  it  is  mantled  with  vivid  green,  edged  with  red 
clay  and  rock  where  it  dips  into  the  crystal  flood, 
making  its  peculiar  Indian  name  appropriate, —  Me- 
gouacha,  "  always  red."  Beyond  this  cape,  blue  in 
the  distance  rise  the  two  peaks,  the  Giant's  Steps  of 
Mount  Tracadiegache. 

Ere  long  the  village  of  Carleton,  bright  and  cheery 
despite  the  gray  day,  appeared  nestling  at  the  foot  of 
the  grand  mountain,  which  rises  more  than  eighteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  here  revealed  from 
base  to  summit.  Meg,  the  enthusiastic,  exclaimed, 
"  Oh,  don't  those  white  houses  with  red  roofs  look  de- 
lightfully foreign?  "  Another  remarked  that  it  bore 
some  resemblance  to  a  Swiss  hamlet,  the  proud  moun- 
tain looming  above ;  while  another  suggested  that  the 
broad  piazzas  and  green  blinds  of  other  domiciles  had 
a  savor  of  the  sunny  South  about  them,  reminding 
one  of  a  planter's  residence. 


80      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Evidently  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  was  an  event 
of  greatest  importance,  as  the  quaint  country  folk 
and  people  of  all  classes  turned  out  en  masse,  and,  as 
Jim  remarked,  "  did  the  heavy  standing  round,"  dur- 
ing the  deliberate  unloading  of  a  few  pieces  of 
freight,  which  the  Figure  Head  enumerated :  "  Two 
barrels,  one  box,  one  basket,  one  kettle," — as  these 
articles  were  set  upon  the  wharf  with  a  vast  deal  of 
ceremony  and  much  tossing  back  and  forth  of  French 
phrases  from  the  pleasant  voices  of  the  "  habitans."  ^ 
Sue  remarked,  "  One  would  think  that  the  fate  of  a 
nation  hung  on  these  proceedings,  judging  by  the 
solemn  expression  on  the  faces  of  that  crowd."  The 
big  round  kettle  was  claimed  by  a  fresh,  bright-look- 
ing girl,  who,  instead  of  denominating  it  "  chaud- 
ron,"  demanded,  "  Donnez-moi  la  homhe!  "  and  very 
like  a  huge  bomb  or  cannon-ball  did  it  look.  The 
appellation  which  has  been  invented  by  the  Canadian 
French  to  designate  this  article,  was  approved  by  the 
tourists,  who  were  ready  to  accept  anything  odd  or 
humorous  in  their  trip,  which  the  gay  party  were 
bound  to  make  a  fascinatingly  foreign  frolic. 

This  diversion  had  for  a  while  partly  absorbed  the 


1  In  the  States  the  country  folk  object  to  the  name  "  native  " 
which  summerers  have  bestowed  upon  them,  as  rather  imply- 
ing contempt.  In  the  South  the  "  planter "  thought  himself 
of  much  more  importance  than  a  mere  farmer;  so  also  with 
the  "  ranchman "  of  the  Territories,  probably.  Those  who 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  to  any  extent  in  Canada  seem 
to  prefer  to  be  called  "  cultivateurs "  instead  of  "fermiers"; 
and  they  designate  as  "  habitans  "  those  who  take  their  produce 
to  the  Quebec  markets.  Many  old  historians,  both  French  and 
English,  spell  the  name,  as  above,  with  one  t. 


"  MARBE-AH  "  81 

attention  of  the  two  girls,  Amy  and  Mildred ;  who,  at 
the  time  of  the  departure,  were  so  dubious  that  the 
others  mischievously  dubbed  them  the  Croaker  and 
the  Doubter.  But  the  vessel  and  its  furnishings 
began  to  take  on  a  singularly  lively,  not  to  say  rol- 
licking, aspect;  the  most  dignified  articles,  armchairs 
and  beaufets,  seemed  inclined  to  engage  in  a  waltz, 
only  prevented  by  the  screws  cruelly  chaining  them  to 
the  floor.  Glasses  on  the  sideboards  jingled  musically, 
lamps  swung  acrobatically,  and  locomotion  became 
difficult. 

Mrs.  Ellersley  quietly  slipped  away  to  her  state- 
room, meekly  remarking  that  she  thought  she  would 
take  a  nap.  Amy,  apparently  becoming  invertebrate, 
threw  herself  in  a  heap  on  a  sofa,  the  picture  of  de- 
spair ;  while  Mildred  sat  bolt  upright  beside  her,  with 
an  air  of  unnatural  solemnity  and  severity.  The  for- 
mer looked  white,  the  latter  blue ;  they  began  to  talk 
treason  under  the  breath ;  and  thus  signs  of  insubordi- 
nation appeared  in  the  company  which  had  heretofore 
proved  so  harmonious ;  for  as  the  steamer  steered 
across  a  wide  arm  of  the  bay,  making  for  a  distant 
cape,  the  full  force  of  the  sea  was  felt,  and  there  was 
no  doubt  from  what  quarter  the  wind  was  blowing. 
"  'Twas  just  their  luck,"  said  those  wretched  tars,  to 
have  started  out  on  this  voyage  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles,  when  the  wind  had  whisked  around  to 
the  southeast,  and  was  blowing  with  greater  and 
greater  vehemence,  covering  the  bay  with  tossing 
whitecaps,  which  seemed  to  be  marshaling  and  form- 


82      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ing  into  angry  surges,  as  the  girls  caught  sight  of 
them  from  the  windows  close  at  hand.  The  others, 
suspecting  the  state  of  affairs,  advised  removal  to  the 
central  and  steadier  part  of  the  boat;  but  persuasion 
was  useless.  Amy  remarked :  "  The  idea  of  a  pleasure 
trip  with  no  pleasure  in  it!  It's  absurd!  I'd  give 
anything  to  be  on  dry  land ! "  Mildred  replied :  "  I 
cannot  stand  this  all  day ;  I  shall  be  so  worn  out  by 
the  time  we  reach  Gaspe  that  I  cannot  enjoy  seeing 
the  place."  Amy,  as  if  doubtfully  throwing  out  a 
line,  continued,  "  What's  the  use  of  making  one's 
self  wretched  if  one  can  escape  from  misery  ? " 
Mildred  seized  it  with  avidity,  jumped  at  the  idea, 
and  exclaimed,  "  Let's  go  ashore  at  the  next  station !  " 
although  recalling  what  they  had  been  told  about  this 
shore, —  that  between  Carleton  and  Gaspe  there  are 
only  little  French  fishing  villages,  and  the  steamer 
does  not  touch  at  a  wharf.  Nevertheless,  by  that 
time  despair  sat  upon  the  countenances  of  the  two 
rebels,  and  desperation  moved  one  to  plunge  headlong 
to  the  forward  part  of  the  boat  to  inquire  the  name 
of  the  next  stopping-place.  After  the  manner  of 
these  French  Acadians,  the  steward  emphasized  the 
last  syllable  in  replying,  "  Msiree-ah!  "  his  native  po- 
liteness barely  preventing  him  from  looking  with  con- 
tempt on  such  poor  sailors,  who  announced,  "  Nous 
debarquons  a  Maria  !  " 

Mrs.  Ellersley  vainly  protested  against  this  re- 
solve, but  was  reminded  that  she  would  have  her 
hands  quite  full  enough  with  those  yet   remaining 


"  MAREE-^/r  "  88 

under  her  charge;  and  her  remonstrances  lost  force 
from  the  fact  that  she  found  it  impossible  by  this 
time  to  hold  up  her  head,  and  was  obliged  to  main- 
tain a  recumbent  posture.  So  she  comforted  herself 
by  the  thought  that  Mildred,  being  a  circumspect 
young  person,  might  be  relied  on  to  keep  Amy  in 
check,  that  the  party  would  be  re-united  two  days 
hence,  and  that  it  would  be  hardly  likely  that  any- 
thing untoward  should  occur  in  the  intervening  time. 
To  the  poor  wretches  it  seemed  that  hours  of  mis- 
ery must  have  passed,  though  it  was  in  reality  but  a 
very  short  time,  ere  the  stopping  of  the  machinery 
and  ringing  of  a  bell,  as  well  as  the  shout  of  a  deck 
hand  announced,  "  Maree-ah ! "  Down  a  perpen- 
dicular ladder, —  a  sort  of  flying  trapeze, —  climbed 
the  two  recalcitrants,  with  several  others  of  the  pas- 
sengers; and,  imagining  themselves  unwieldy  bales, 
were  ignominiously  dropped  into  a  clumsy  tub  of  a 
two-masted  fishing  smack,  which  plunged  and  pitched 
in  the  seething  water,  bumping  and  scraping  the  hull 
of  the  steamer  ere  it  pushed  ofF.^  Those  who  had 
thus  gained  their  end  and  desire  in  leaving  the  big 
vessel,  however,  were  not  by  any  means  exultant.  If 
ever  two  people  felt  utterly  abject  and  despicable  so 
did  those  base  renegades,  who  also  had  to  add  to  their 
gloom  the  tolerably  earnest  conviction  that  they  were 
going  from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire.  The  boat 
lurched,  rocked  and  danced  in  maddening  manner; 
at  each  plunge  a  French  Canadian  girl  grasped  Mil- 


1  This  boat  is  known  as  a  "  cobble  "  in  this  region. 


84      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

dred  by  the  arm,  exclaiming,  "  Sainte  Vierge !  Bon 
Dieu !  Dieu  nous  protege !  "  no  doubt  calling  on  all 
the  saints  in  the  calendar  under  her  breath,  succumb- 
ing at  last  to  mal-de-mer;  while  Amy  sat  with 
clenched  hands,  set  teeth  and  white  face,  sternly 
grasping  her  umbrella,  too  miserable  to  be  frightened 
or  to  care  much  what  happened  next.  The  skipper 
shouted,  "  Point  de  danger,"  but  Amy  said,  "  You 
may  be  sure  there  is  danger,  or  he  wouldn't  say 
that!" 

Among  the  passengers  who  were  thus  being  con- 
veyed ashore  was  a  French  resident  of  the  village  of 
Maria,  who  showed  kindly  solicitude  in  making  the 
ladies  as  comfortable  as  the  awkward  boat  would  ad- 
mit. Mildred's  drooping  spirits  reviving  somewhat 
on  seeing  that  they  were  approaching  terra  firTna, 
she  ventured  to  question  this  gentleman,  and  learned 
that  the  picturesque  settlement,  stretching  along 
shore  and  for  a  short  distance  inland, —  twenty  miles 
from  their  point  of  debarkation, — ■  contains  over  five 
hundred  families  of  French,  Scotch  and  some  Irish, 
generally  well-to-do  farmers;  that  the  former  no 
doubt  suppose  the  name,  like  that  of  Montreal  in  its 
earliest  history,  was  quite  in  honor  of  "  la  Sainte 
Vierge,"  though  in  reality  for  the  wife  of  a  Governor- 
General  of  olden  time.  Mildred  also  learned  that  it 
would  be  quite  possible  for  the  ladies  to  find  a  com- 
fortable vehicle  and  competent  charioteer  to  convey 
them  back  to  Carleton,  there  to  await  the  return  of 
the  "  Admiral." 


"  MAREE-^£r "  85 

After  being  pitched  and  flung  over  the  water  in 
this  fashion  for  perhaps  two  miles,  a  clumsy,  tossing 
rowboat  was  seen  coming  alongside,  and  to  that  the 
passengers  were  transferred,  it  being  too  rough  for 
the  sail  boat  to  approach  nearer  the  shore.  Not  even 
from  this  boat  could  they  land,  however,  for  there 
was  too  high  a  surf  running  on  the  beach;  and  the 
next  incident  of  this  singular  journey  was  seeing  a 
two-wheeled  cart  driven  into  the  sea  until  the  water 
covered  the  hubs  of  the  wheels,  and  into  this  the  voy- 
agers climbed  from  the  broad,  low  row-boat. 

The  lugubrious  visages  of  the  girls  now  relaxed, 
for  as  they  were  thus  driven  ashore  they  were  able  at 
last  to  see  some  fun  in  this  peculiar  expedition,  and 
even  to  enjoy  the  strange  sensation  as  the  long 
"  rollers "  swept  under  the  cart  in  which  the  pas- 
sengers stood,  supporting  themselves  by  posts  at  the 
corners.  Amy  remarked,  "  I  have  heard  that  pas- 
sengers are  landed  at  Rio  Janeiro  in  this  manner,  but 
never  expected  to  experience  such  pleasure  myself." 
At  last  they  were  on  the  solid  earth,  and  "  How  good, 
and  firm,  and  steady  it  feels ! "  said  Mildred. 
"  What  shall  we  do  next  ?  "  she  queried,  the  other  re- 
plying promptly,  "  Remain  for  the  rest  of  my  natural 
life ! "  but  at  that  moment  Mons.  Bandure,^  their 
fellow-passenger,  appeared,  accompanied  by  a  young 
man  whom  he  introduced :  "  Ladies,  allow  me  to  pre- 
sent to  you  Monsieur  George  Reinhart,  who  will  be 
happy  to  drive  you  back  to  Carleton,  and  " —  clap- 


1  Bandure,  an  American  plant  of  the  Gentian  family. 


86      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ping  him  on  the  shoulder  with  an  air  of  good  fellow- 
ship —  he  added,  "  I  leave  you  in  good  hands ;  there 
is  not  a  better  fellow  on  the  coast,"  and  then  made 
his  adieux. 

The  newcomer  was  on  the  sunny  side  of  thirty, 
and  seemed  full  of  energy  and  life.  He  suggested 
that  the  travelers  should  rest  at  his  house  while  he 
was  harnessing  another  horse  for  their  drive  to  Carle- 
ton,  and  they  were  soon  bowling  gayly  along  the 
pretty  beach  road  to  a  snug  and  neat  domicile  a  mile 
or  so  beyond,  where  he  informed  them  that  he  kept 
bachelor's  hall.  The  canny  Scotch  housekeeper  met 
them  at  the  door,  and,  as  she  led  them  upstairs,  said, 
"  I  am  an  old-f eshioned  body  myseP ;  I  hae  only  bean 
here  a  short  toime ;  but  I  wuU  do  me  best  to  mak  ye 
comfortable,  if  ye'll  rest  a  bit  while  the  maister  gets 
the  double  team  ready."  She  was  somewhat  inclined 
to  garrulity,  and  thus  it  leaked  out  that  Mr.  Rein- 
hart  accommodated  sportsmen,  "  now  and  again," 
when  returning  from  the  Cascapedia.  The  ship- 
wrecked mariners,  as  the  girls  jocosely  styled  them- 
selves, jumped  at  such  a  chance  as  this,  and  resolved 
that  here  they  would  stay.  The  host  was  not  re- 
luctant, and  then  the  storm-tossed  waifs  proceeded  to 
make  themselves  at  home,  and  were  ready  for  any 
larks  that  might  be  found  flitting  about. 

Dinner  was  a  dainty  and  tempting  repast,  the  host 
himself  waiting  upon  his  guests,  and,  in  fact,  prepar- 
ing some  of  the  dishes,  the  housekeeper  being  a  new 
hand  who  "  had  not  quite  learned  the  ropes  yet,"  and 


«  MARBB-AH  "  87 

he  having  great  skill  in  culinary  arts  from  long  ex- 
perience in  the  camp  life  of  a  sportsman. 

The  two  girls  took  a  long  walk  down  the  shore, 
stopping  now  and  then  to  air  a  .little  French  in  chat- 
ting with  the  children  who  came  to  the  doors  to  see 
the  strangers.  Mildred  stopped  by  an  odd  sliding 
gate,  saying,  "  Baise  moi ! "  to  a  rosy  curly-haired 
toddler,  who  was  much  amused  at  the  idea  of  deliver- 
ing the  salute  through  the  bars.  The  mother  said, 
"  Vous  etes  de  Quebec,  n'est-ce  pas  ? "  and  was 
amazed  at  the  reply,  "  Non,  nous  sommes  de  Philadel- 
phie ;  "  exclaiming  with  astonishment,  "  Oh,  oh,  c'est 
au  loin  d'ici ! "  as  if  the  travelers  had  come  from  the 
very  antipodes.  The  pretty  cat  was  discussed  and 
made  to  show  off  some  funny  tricks,  and  the  woman 
spoke  cordially  of  her  neighbor,  their  host,  whom  she 
called  "  Monsieur  Shorzhe,"  and  declared  to  be  "  tres 
beau,  un  bel  homme."  "  How  his  ears  must  bum !  " 
said  Amy  aside. 

Here  the  girls  saw  the  first  habitans'  houses;  at- 
tractively French  and  foreign-looking,  almost  invari- 
ably one  story  in  height,  picturesque  and  pleasing  to 
the  eye  in  the  wide,  curving  sweep  of  roof,  making 
broad  eaves,  which  cast  a  becoming  shade  over  the 
upper  part  of  the  domicile.  In  some  cases  the  roof 
stretched  out  far  enough  to  be  supported  by  posts, 
forming  a  good  piazza,  or  "  galerie,"  as  the  people 
call  it.  "  So  different  from  the  unmitigated  angles 
of  farm-houses  in  New  England,"  said  one,  scorn- 
fully, "  where  dwellings  even  in  towns  are  modeled 


88      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

on  the  pattern  of  a  packing-box,  and  topped  with  the 
utterly  incongruous  Mansard  roof."  Huge  fishing 
boats  were  moored  in  an  inlet,  or  careened  on  the 
beach  with  their  sails  spread  in  carelessly  graceful 
folds  to  dry,  forming  such  bits  as  would  delight  an 
artist. 

As  the  strangers  strolled  along  the  road  they  were 
surprised  to  see  approaching  them  gallant  Mons. 
Bandure,  who  had  landed  when  they  did,  and  who 
said,  "  Ladies,  Mrs.  Macpherson  would  like  to  have 
you  come  up  and  see  her  garden."  Once  within  the 
close  and  rather  high  fence  which  protected  this 
demesne  from  too  strong  winds,  they  exclaimed  with 
surprise  and  delight  at  the  spectacle  presented, —  the 
marvelous  wealth  of  color  which,  like  a  shattered 
rainbow,  was  spread  before  them.  Rarest  flowers 
were  blooming  in  perfection;  the  air  was  laden  with 
delicate  perfumes;  and,  with  the  grand  mountains 
circling  the  beautiful  Bay,  one  might  easily  fancy 
himself  transported  to  Mentone,  Nice,  or  other  famed 
resort  of  sunny  Italy.  Even  a  professional  horticul- 
turist would  doff  his  hat  and  acknowledge  himself 
distanced  by  the  lady  of  the  manor,  who  was  sole 
care-taker  of  this  exquisite  and  tasteful  parterre. 

Amy  certainly  must  have  told  tales  out  of  school 
when  the  travelers  were  invited  into  the  pretty  par- 
lor and  she  chanced  to  stand  by  the  fine  piano ; 
although  she  mischievously  insinuated  that  'twas  only 
magnetism  and  intuition  which  impelled  the  daughter 
of  the   house   to   ask   Mildred  to   sing   Scotch   bal- 


lads.  At  the  first  strain  of  "  What's  a'  the  steer 
Kimmer?  "  the  host  and  the  braw  laddie,  his  manly 
son,  drew  nearer  the  instrument,  while  his  wife  and 
daughter  seemed  to  hang  breathless  on  the  tones  of 
the  singer.  Mr.  Macpherson  dropped  into  broad 
Scotch  as  he  addressed  the  singer,  exclaiming, 
"  Hech !  me  bonnie  lassie,  hoo  ye  tak  me  bok  to  the 
hame  o'  me  byehude.  Lilt  mair,  me  lassie  wi'  the 
goldie  locks,  it  warrums  the  cockles  o'  me  harrt  to 
hear  ye ;  an'  the  eecho  o'  those  ballats  hae  been  rinnin 
in  me  head  these  mony  lang  years ;  there's  naething 
loike  them  in  ony  land."  Full  and  clear  rang  the 
sweet  voice  in  "  Bonnie  Dundee  "  and  "  Charlie  is 
my  Darling ;  "  longing  and  beseeching  in  "  Will  ye 
no  come  back  again?  "  tender  and  pathetic  in  "  Here's 
a  health  to  ane  I  loe  dear,"  with  its  sorrowful  re- 
frain, "  Jessie,  Jessie."  The  audience  -were  meta- 
phorically at  her  feet,  and  time  slipped  by  unnoted 
until  the  sunset  light  warned  the  travelers  that  Mr. 
Reinhart  might  fear  his  guests  had  lost  their  way 
in  this  new  and  strange  land.  Then  who  so  gallant  as 
Mr.  Archie,  who  had  slipped  quietly  away  and  ap- 
peared at  the  door  with  his  light  buckboard,  "  at  your 
service,  ladies."  After  the  girls  had  seated  them- 
selves and  promised  to  call  again  on  the  drive  to 
Carleton,  the  young  man  leaped  up  at  the  back  of  the 
vehicle,  and,  holding  the  reins  above  the  ladies'  heads, 
drove  standing ;  and  they  were  thus  conveyed  back  to 
Mr.  Reinhart's  in  true  habitan  fashion. 

Another  home-like  meal  awaited  them,  excellently 


90      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

served  on  delicate  quaint  china.  Amy  held  up  her 
spoon,  exclaiming,  "  Can  I  believe  my  eyes?  A 
crest  ?  Yes ;  how  interesting ! "  The  travelers 
amused  themselves  with  speculations  and  surmisings 
about  their  jolly  host,  manufacturing  offhand  be- 
tween them  a  plot  which  would  serve  for  a  novel 
about  this  young  man  who,  like  him  of  the  nursery 
rhyme,  lived  all  by  himself;  and  Mildred  jumped  at 
a  conclusion  in  solution  of  the  mystery,  summing  all 
up :  "  It  is  a  case  of  '  crossed  in  hopeless,'  I  am  con- 
vinced ! " 

In  the  long,  lingering  twilight  of  this  northern 
shore,  the  girls  sat  upon  the  door-step  under  Balm-of- 
Gilead  trees,  the  leather-like  leaves  flapping  together 
with  a  sound  as  of  pattering  rain-drops;  the  Bay, 
which  in  early  morning  —  how  long  ago  it  seemed! 
—  was  so  angry  and  turbulent,  was  quieting  rapidly, 
and  appeared  almost  placid  and  radiant  in  the  opal- 
escent tints  of  sunset.  As  Mildred  endeavored  to 
transfer  to  paper  a  semblance  of  some  rainbow-hued 
salpeglossis  from  the  Macpherson  garden,  softly  hum- 
ming an  air  from  "  Lohengrin,"  Amy  jumped  up  ex- 
citedly, almost  upsetting  the  bouquet  and  box  of 
colors,  as  she  waved  aloft  the  kitten  (sent  up  by 
"  Monsieur  Shorzhe's "  amiable  voisine  "  pour 
amuser  les  Demoiselles"),  and  striking  an  exagger- 
atedly tragic  attitude,  cried,  "  Behold,  he  comes ! " 

Far  away  in  the  distance  appeared  a  canoe  gliding 
over  the  water,  propelled  by  two  men  skilfully  poling 
the  pretty  craft,  which  made  not  a  sound  as  it  ap- 


"  MAREE-^if  "  91 

preached,  with  an  air  of  mystery,  and  the  romantic 
Amy  exclaimed,  "  Isn't  it  just  as  if  we  had  expected 
some  one,  and  so  sat  here  waiting?  Who  can  it  be? 
Aren't  you  curious,  Milly  ?  "  Naturally  that  young 
woman  could  not  surmise  who  the  traveler  might  be, 
and  would  not  admit  that  she  had  any  curiosity, 
though  she  watched  the  approach  with  eager  interest. 
The  boat  contained  one  passenger,  and,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  the  girls,  the  graceful  craft  was  propelled 
directly  towards  their  abiding  place,  and  beached  in 
front  of  the  house. 

A  tall  man,  whose  every  movement  indicated 
energy  and  buoyant  spirits,  stepped  ashore,  gave 
some  directions  to  the  boatman,  doffed  his  Glengarry 
cap  to  the  ladies,  displaying  thick,  curling  black  hair, 
and  rich,  dark  complexion,  bronzed  by  "  roughing 
it "  in  the  backwoods,  and  with  a  hearty,  "  Well, 
George,  my  good  fellow,  here  I  am  again,  and  how 
are  you?  "  stepped  into  the  neat  cottage,  filling  the 
establishment  with  the  breeziness  and  jollity  of  over- 
brimming health  and  life.  With  the  air  of  a  Ches- 
terfield Mr.  Reinhart  presented  the  guests  to  each 
other;  and  Mr.  Murray  Kennedy  explained  that,  be- 
ing called  home  by  business,  he  had  left  a  fishing- 
party  fitted  out  by  Mr.  Reinhart  in  the  wilds  of  the 
Cascapedia;  for  their  host  had  guides,  canoes,  good 
teams,  and  supplied  fishing-parties  in  summer  and 
hunting-expeditions  in  winter. 

The  jolly  host  put  on  a  comically  deprecating  air 
at  Mr.  Kennedy's  commendation  of  his  skill  in  such 


92      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

sports,  and  said  that  epicures  consider  the  salmon  of 
this  river  superior  to  that  of  the  Restigouche,  and 
Lord  Lome  preferred  this  river  to  that.  Then  he 
told  of  a  native  who,  meeting  that  Governor-General 
in  these  forest  wilds  while  fishing,  did  not  recognize 
him  in  his  rough  attire, —  probably  picturing  that 
functionary  as  a  high  and  mighty  potentate  gorgeous 
in  gold  lace, —  and  remarked  that  he  would  not  dis- 
turb his  pool,  adding :  "  You  keep  to  yous  and  we'll 
keep  to  wees,  and  we  won't  have  no  trouble."  "  How 
refreshing  it  must  have  been  to  milord  to  meet  such 
an  untutored  child  of  the  wilderness,"  said  Mildred. 

Continuing  the  conversation,  Mr.  Kennedy  told 
them  something  of  his  experiences  since  he  "  came 
out  "  from  Scotland,  and,  on  Amy  remarking  that 
she  would  not  have  taken  him  for  a  native  of  that 
country,  he  laughingly  said,  as  he  ran  his  fingers 
through  his  dark  curls,  "  Because  I  have  not  the 
typical  sandy  locks.?  Oh,  I  am  what  they  call  in  my 
country  '  a  black  Scot ' ; "  and  in  such  spontaneous 
interchange  of  thought  the  three  travelers  became 
quite  en  rapport. 

The  gentleman  who  appeared  so  picturesquely  on 
the  scene  was  evidently  an  old  stager,  and  knew  all 
the  ways  of  the  house.  As  the  night  had  grown  cold, 
at  his  suggestion  the  party  grouped  themselves  about 
the  cavernous  fireplace,  where  huge  logs  blazed. 
Monsieur  Bandure  also  happened  in,  to  listen  to  fish 
stories  (authenticated,  too!)  ;  and  the  ladies  were  in- 
fected with  the  contagion,  longing  to  come  next  year 


"  MAREE-^H  "  98 

to  engage  in  such  fascinating  sport.  The  pocket  case 
of  flies  was  brought  out  for  inspection,  the  ladies  in- 
itiated into  the  mysteries  of  the  different  varieties 
with  their  bright  feathers ;  the  black  and  brown 
"  Fairies,"  the  "  Silver  Doctor,"  "  White  Admiral," 
"  Rainbow,"  "  Jock  Scott,"  "  Scarlet  Ibis,"  and  the 
"  Black  Dose,"  the  latter  effective  in  Cascapedia 
waters;  and  the  gay  fisherman  presented  some  of 
those  richest  in  color  to  the  fair  guests  to  stick  in 
their  hats  as  souvenirs.  The  girls  were  interested  to 
learn  that  although  there  are  more  than  one  thousand 
styles  of  flies  in  the  market,  the  oldest,  manufactured 
in  England  more  than  a  century  ago,  are  still  favor- 
ites, and,  it  seems,  cannot  be  improved  upon.  The 
"  Coachman,"  "  Grizzly  King,"  "  Professor," 
"  Brown  Hackle  "  and  "  Black  Gnat  "  flies  are  among 
these  centenarious  ones,  and  still  hold  the  fisherman's 
affections. 

The  visitors  were  also  informed  that  "  All  sal- 
mon rivers  abound  in  trout,  and  trout-fishing  from 
the  shore  everywhere  and  often  from  a  canoe  is  free. 
It  is  the  angler's  own  fault  if  he  cannot  take  some 
five-pound  fish.  Trout  of  two-pounds'  weight  are 
considered  small.  The  canoe  man  will  know  whether 
a  '  run '  of  trout  is  going  up  any  river  or  not,  and 
the  trout  can  be  followed  up  if  desired." 

Though  the  cousins  had  not  tried  salmon  fishing, 
in  which  sport  many  Canadian  and  English  women 
have  become  experts,  they  heartily  joined  with  the 
fisherman  in  deploring  the  destruction  of  the  salmon 


94       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

through  the  dumping  of  sawdust  into  the  rivers ;  and 
were  interested  to  learn  of  the  singular  provision  of 
nature  for  the  fish  when  on  its  way  to  the  spawning 
grounds.  At  that  time  they  are  provided  with  an 
extra  amount  of  fat,  which  serves  as  a  reserve  for 
them  to  draw  upon,  as  they  abstain  from  other  food ; 
but  it  has  been  convincingly  proved  that  the  fine  par- 
ticles of  wood  which  they  have  swallowed  lodge  in 
the  gullet  and  abdominal  cavities,  thus  clogging  them 
and  instantly  killing  the  fish. 

Remarking  on  the  singular  appropriateness  of 
the  caller's  name,  one  of  the  cousins  (who  annually 
passed  much  time  in  New  England)  was  reminded  of 
the  plant  brought  over  by  the  Puritans.  This  was 
known  as  "  dyer's  weed," —  probably  of  the  indigo 
family, —  and  is  the  plant  whence  the  Plantagenets 
took  their  name  (planta-genesta-tinctora),  one  wear- 
ing in  his  helmet  a  tuft  of  the  yellow  blossoms,  which, 
he  declared,  "  though  the  humblest  weed,  he  would 
make  the  proudest  emblem."  It  also  runs  riot 
among  the  hills  of  Pennsylvania  mining  regions; 
and  fashionable  city  florists  brought  it  out  at  Eas- 
ter, a  few  years  since,  as  something  new,  rare  and 
fine. 

Amy  fancied  that  the  lively  disciple  of  the  sedate 
Izaak  gravitated  always  in  Mildred's  direction;  that 
his  remarks  and  narratives  were  addressed  to  her; 
that  his  eyes  turned  most  frequently  to  that  graceful 
figure  seated  in  precisely  the  right  location  for  the 
leaping  flames  to  bring  out  most  efi^ectively  the  warm 


"  MAREE-^H  "  95 

gold,  with  the  quips  and  quirls,  as  she  called  them,  of 
her  hair,  and  to  glow  in  the  depths  of  her  full  blue 
eyes.  "  Ah,  cousin,  cousin,  what  a  picture  you  are, 
and  the  best  of  it  is  that  you  do  not  know  it,"  said 
that  close  observer  to  herself;  and  a  propos  of 
nothing,  suddenly  turned  to  the  host  with  a  query 
about  his  uncommon  name  and  the  quaint  silver, 
eliciting  the  nonchalant  reply,  "  Oh,  yes,  there's  my 
cousin  Robert  down  at  Lunenberg  has  all  the  old 
records,  but  I  don't  care  about  them,"  and  Mildred 
remarked  in  undertone  to  her  cousin,  "  Secure  in  his 
own  integrity  he  can  afford  to  smile  at  the  '  claims 
of  long  descent.'  "  Then  Amy  begged  Mr.  Rein- 
hart  to  relate  some  legends  of  the  Bay,  and  he  readily 
complied,  telling  of 

THE    MYSTERIOUS    LIGHT    OF    CAP    NOIE. 

For  many  years  on  Cap  Noir,  the  eastern  point  of 
Maria,  a  strange  light  was  seen,  dancing  and  moving 
about  in  the  most  unaccountable  manner.  At  one 
moment  it  would  rise  like  a  column  of  fire  into  the 
air,  at  another  time  it  would  fall  like  a  meteor;  then 
it  would  seem  to  leap  over  the  point  and  drop  into 
the  sea,  afterwards  appearing  again  in  the  same  spot 
on  the  hillside.  The  habitans  tell  this  story  about  it. 
In  the  time  of  the  war  for  the  possession  of  Canada, 
a  French  vessel,  pursued  by  an  English  war  ship, 
steered  its  course  into  the  Bay,  at  this  point,  for 
refuge.  A  boat  was  lowered  from  the  side  of  the 
richly  laden  merchantman,  and  in  this  thirteen  men 


96      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

swiftly  rowed  to  the  shore.  Their  object  was  to  hide 
a  chest  of  gold  which  they  brought  with  them.  On 
reaching  the  point  they  drew  lots  to  see  which  of  the 
men  should  remain  to  guard  the  treasure.  The  one 
to  whom  the  lot  fell  was  forced  to  swear  a  solemn 
oath,  by  land  and  sea,  by  night  and  day,  by  the  ruler 
of  the  nether  world,  that  he  would  be  faithful  to  the 
trust  through  life  unless  relieved  of  the  charge  by 
his  returning  comrades ;  and  even  after  death  would 
haunt  the  spot,  should  no  one  come  to  take  his  place. 
To  secure  the  fulfillment  of  this  vow,  his  wicked  com- 
panions then  and  there  put  him  to  death,  and  buried 
him  with  the  treasure.  The  ghostly  light  was  sup- 
posed to  be  the  spirit  of  the  murdered  man,  and  many 
persons  who,  tempted  by  the  hope  of  recovering  the 
treasure,  ventured  into  the  haunted  spot,  fled  in 
terror,  and  told  blood-curdling  stories  of  the  horrible 
phantoms  and  frightful  sights  which  they  had  wit- 
nessed. The  light  is  seen  no  longer;  perhaps  some 
adventurer  bolder  than  the  rest  succeeded  in  discov- 
ering the  gold  and  carrying  it  off,  and  thus  gave  rest 
to  the  unquiet  spirit. 

Amy  exclaimed,  "  What  a  deliciously  spooky 
thing !  "  and,  like  Oliver,  begged  for  more.  To  grat- 
ify her  Monsieur  Bandure  "  took  up  the  wondrous 
tale,"  and  told  the  Indian  legend  of  Cap  Desespoir. 

THE    TREACHEROUS    FRIEND. 

In  olden  times  there  were  two  Indian  villages  of 
considerable  importance  in  this  region,  one  at  Resti- 


"  MAREE-^^  "  97 

gouche,  the  other  at  the  Basin  ^  of  Gaspe.  The 
braves  of  these  villages  met  once  when  following  the 
chase,  and  afterwards  smoked  the  calumet  together. 
Then  the  Gaspesians  gave  an  enchanting  description 
of  their  country,  and  invited  the  Indians  of  Resti- 
gouche  to  come  there  and  establish  themselves,  saying 
that  it  was  a  much  better  place  to  live.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  the  chief  of  the  Restigouche  Indians 
set  out  with  many  canoes  and  came  to  Gaspe,  where, 
after  he  had  examined  everything,  he  said  to  his 
people,  "  Comrades,  we  would  do  as  well  to  live  at 
home ;  let  us  return ;  "  and  they  set  out  on  their  home- 
ward journey.  When  they  arrived  at  the  Cape,  since 
called  Desespoir,  they  camped,  and  the  chief  said  to 
his  people,  "  Continue  on  your  way  to  Restigouche ; 
I  will  soon  follow;  you  will  not  be  much  in  advance 
of  me;  it  is  not  fitting  that  a  chief  should  return 
empty-handed."  All  embarked  except  one,  who 
begged  that  he  might  remain  with  his  chief,  who, 
without  distrust,  granted  permission;  and  a  wigwam 
was  built  near  his  own  for  the  one  he  believed  to  be 
his  friend. 

The  huts  were  on  the  summit  of  the  promontory. 
About  a  week  after  the  building  of  the  cabins  at  Cap 
Desespoir,  a  horrible  tempest  burst  upon  the  land. 
When  night  came,  to  add  to  the  horror  of  the  storm 
its  profound  blackness,  in  the  midst  of  the  bellowing 

1  The  guests  noted  that  Bays  are  called  Basins  in  this  re- 
gion; for  instance: — Gasp6  Basin,  Basin  of  Minas;  and  one 
remarked  that  if  a  tribute  to  the  fine  climate  was  intended, 
by  using  the  French  words  Bale  Saine,  it  was  appropriate. 


98      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

of  the  tempest  the  savage  believed  that  he  heard 
cries,  and  ventured  out,  though  the  storm  was  ap- 
palling, and  the  sea  breaking  in  fury  on  the  promon- 
tory. He  ran  to  inform  his  sachem,  and  the  chief 
immediately  rushed  to  the  summit  of  the  cape  to  carry 
succor  to  the  drowning,  to  save  some  life  if  that  were 
possible. 

The  debris  of  a  vessel  was  scattered  on  all  sides, 
the  crew  drowning  while  raising  lamentable  cries, 
asking  in  vain  help  of  God  and  man.  While  the 
chief,  stupefied  and  powerless,  gazed  on  this  scene  of 
despair,  his  companion,  gliding  behind  him,  pushed 
him  into  the  abyss,  where  his  cries  mingled  with  those 
of  the  sailors  of  the  wrecked  vessel.  After  having 
assured  himself  that  his  victim  had  truly  perished, 
the  traitor  ran  to  the  wigwam  of  his  chief,  and 
feigning  deepest  sorrow,  "  The  Sagamore  has  been 
carried  away  by  the  sea,"  cried  he,  "  and  his  last 
words  were,  '  Take  care  of  my  wife.' "  "  Ah ! 
wretch ! "  cried  she,  "  it  is  thou  who  hast  killed  him, 
and  after  having  taken  away  his  life,  thou  wishest  to 
have  his  wife !  "  She  rushed  out,  came  to  the  shore, 
and  in  her  despair,  calling  upon  her  husband,  threw 
herself  into  the  sea. 

Not  long  after  the  other  Indians  returned,  search- 
ing for  their  chief.  The  traitor  feigned  sorrow,  re- 
lated to  them  the  story  of  the  storm  and  shipwreck, 
telling  them  that  their  chief,  wishing  to  save  some 
one,  had  been  carried  away  by  a  wave,  and  that  his 
wife  in  frenzy  had  thrown  herself  into  the  same  abyss. 


"  MAREB-AH  "  99 

His  comrades,  however,  did  not  half  believe  this 
story.  Arrived  at  Restigouche  they  assembled  the 
magicians,  or  medicine  men,  of  their  tribes,  who,  after 
deliberating,  decided  that  the  savage  had  killed  his 
chief.  Despite  his  protestations  they  bound  the  false 
one  to  the  stake,  and  shot  arrows  at  him  until,  after 
he  had  acknowledged  his  crime,  death  released  him 
from  the  torture. 

During  these  recitals  Amy  had  thrown  herself  on 
a  hassock  placed  at  Mildred's  feet,  and  the  cousins 
listened,  dreamy-eyed  and  with  flushed  faces,  to  the 
weird  tales.  Just  at  this  point  Mons.  Bandure  arose, 
and  this  naturally  breaking  up  the  circle,  the  three 
travelers  wandered  into  one  of  the  cozy  parlors,  where 
an  antique  instrument  was  discovered.  It  was  re- 
vealed that  Mr.  Kennedy  possessed  a  fine  tenor  voice, 
and  duets  were  proposed.  Among  some  yellow  and 
worn  music  an  old-fashioned  and  most  sentimental 
duet  was  found,  which  the  two,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief, 
warbled  with  extravagantly  exaggerated  emphasis, 
reducing  Amy  at  first  to  utter  limpness  from  con- 
vulsive merriment,  and  then  electrifying  her  with  the 
possibility  of  underlying  earnestness  on  the  part  of 
one  at  least. 

A  French  song  was  demanded  by  that  young 
woman  as  being  appropriate  to  the  region.  There 
are  no  more  enthusiastic  admirers  of  azure  orbs  and 
golden  locks  than  the  French  habitans,  among  whom 
blondes  are  extremely  rare;  so,  as  Mr.  Kennedy  com- 
plied, with  an  old  chanson  which  he  had  learned  from 


100      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

the  guides  and  canoe  men  in  his  recent  expedition, 
what  could  have  been  more  appropriate  to  the  region, 
and  the  occasion,  than  "  Les  Yeux  Bleus  "  ? 

l£S  YEUX  BLEUS.  * 


q-l^lTTTl 


F  1  y- 


1.     Aimes  les  yeux  noirs      si     ta     le  veux,  (H^-las,  ex- 

1.  Eyes  black  as  sloe  might  claim  one's  love--Sach  loVe  is 

2.  La      jeuno  brune     est     le  vain-queur  Lan  -  ce   sur 
2.  She  would  vanquish  all,  the   gay  brunette,  Her  eye-glance 


m 


^ 


i,.JH«'IC^ 


1^ 


is  -   tence  mouran  -  te!)  Moi,  je  ne  ch^  ris    oue  les  bleds. 
death  in  life  I    tell  thee — As  for  myself,  all  otners  above, 
nous  un  trait  de  flamme;    La  blonde  elle  a  bien  plus  d'ardeur 
fills  the  heart  with  dole;  Charming  ia  she,  but  o'er    all  yet 


i 


P-r 


g^^ 


t: 


A  la  vue  douce  et  ch^ris  -  san  -  te.  Tous  les  yeux  noirs  sont 
Eyes  of  pure  azure  have  enchained  me.  Th«i  let  the  black  eyes 
P^  -  n^tre  jusqu'  au  fond  de  l'4me.  Tous  les  yeux  noirs  sont 
Blon-  dina's  ardor  strikes  my   soul.     Then  let  the  black  eyes 


$ 


^ 


? 


de  beaux  y6ux  Moi  je  ne  ch^ris   que  les  bleus  Tous  les  yeux 
be    for  you,  I  will  still  cherish   only  the  blue;  Then  let  the 


i 


^ 


i 


ta-iHtJRi 


-m 


noirs  sont  de  beaux  yeux  Moi  je  ne  ch^ris    que    les  bleus. 
black  ey^  be  for  you,    I  will  still  cherish   on  •  ly  the  blue. 


*  Melody  and  words  noted  down  by  the  writer  as  sung  by  a 
French  habitan's  wife. 


"  MARBE-AH  "  101 

3.  Un  bel  oeil  noir  tout  rempli  d'eau, 

II  ne  dit  pas  ce  qu'il  faut  dire, 
Un  bel  oeil  bleu  vaut  cent  foix  mieux, 
Dans  son  regard  on  peut  tout  lire. 

4.  Un  bel  oeil  noir  dit  fi^rement, 

"  Je  veux  aimer  et  etre  aime." 
Un  bel  oeil  bleu  parle  plus  tendrement, 
"  Aimez-moi,  jevous  aime  le  meme." 

5.  Ce  que  me  met  au  d^sespoir 

Vos  yeux  surpassent  tous  les  autrfes, 
Pardonnez  moi  si  j'aime  les  noirs 

C'est  que  je  n'avais  pas  vu  les  votres. 

3.  Alluringly,  though  through  forced  dew, 

Speaks  then  the  black  eye;  sets  one  dreaming: 
But  ah,  the  blue  is  far  more  true. 

And  one  can  never  doubt  its  meaning. 

4.  Arrogantly  speaks  the  black  eye,  bold, 

"  To  love  I  deign,  if  you  would  love  me." 
Ah,  but  the  blue  eyes  my  faith  hold. 
My  love  returned,  in  them  I  see. 

5.  If  black  eyes  I  admired,  forgive; 

—  My  former  folly  I  deplore  — 
Since  seeing  yours  I  only  live. 

The  true  blue  only  I  adore.  ^  , 

REFRAIK  TO  FIFTH   VERSE  -  ^ 

Ne  craignez  rien  j'ai  vu  vos  yeux,       ,         ,.  ;,  .^       '    " 
Je  n'aimerai  plus  que  les  bleus. 

Surpassing  all,  those  radiant  orbs; 
Their  lovely  light  my  soul  absorbs. 

Melting  and  passionate  the  mellow  tones  rang  out ; 
there  was  no  burlesquing  of  effect  in  that.  It  seemed 
to  Amy  that  genuine  meaning  was  thrown  into  the 
chanson  by  the  debonair  singer,  and  could  it  be  that 
hia  glance  fell  on  Mildred's  face  with  extreme  inter- 
est, if  not  con  amore?     Mildred,  serenely  unconscious. 


102       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

then  made  a  move  implying  that  it  was  growing 
late;  Mr.  Reinhart  meeting  them  in  the  hall  handed 
lighted  candles  to  the  girls,  who  ascended  the  stairs. 
Amy  bade  Good-Night;  and  as  Mildred,  standing 
on  the  first  landing,  looked  over  her  shoulder  to  do 
the  same,  Mr.  Kennedy,  gazing  up  at  her,  softly 
breathed  Lionel's  song: 

Good-night,  good-night,  oh,  fair  one! 

May  thy  dreams  be  calm  and  bright! 
Kind  angels  all  watch  o'er  thee, 

Sleep,  sweetly  sleep,  good-night! — 

as  the  ladies  disappeared,  and  silence  fell  on  Bach- 
elor's Hall. 

The  next  day  being  a  fete.  Monsieur  Bandure 
called  to  offer  his  pew,  inviting  the  strangers  to  at- 
tend service  in  the  large  white  church,  quite  near. 
The  walls  of  the  building  were  ornamented  with 
stucco,  the  woodwork  of  the  chancel  of  oak  and  wal- 
nut fcofiibiniid;,  the  pews  unpainted  pine;  the  light  of 
the  |fi:eat  windows  was  softened  by  curtains  of  wall- 
paper, resembling  chintz.  In  the  stalls  within  the 
chancel  sat  the  choristers,  — •  men  on  one  side,  boys  on 
the  other,  —  all  in  white  gowns,  and  men  in  the  organ 
loft  sang  in  alternation  with  them.  There  were  in- 
terludes on  the  organ,  well  played,  but  no  solo 
singing.  In  the  early  part  of  the  mass  a  white  table- 
cloth was  hung  over  the  chancel  rail,  and  on  it  two 
large  round  loaves  of  bread  were  balanced,  one  above 
the  other.  Later  these  were  removed,  and  then  one 
of  the  choristers  appeared,  with  a  large  melon-shaped 


"  MAREE-^i?  "  103 

basket,  filled  with  inch-square  pieces  of  bread;  with 
this  he  passed  up  and  down  the  aisles,  and  each  mem- 
ber of  the  congregation  took  a  piece.  One  of  the 
acolytes  entered  the  chancel,  carrying  bread  in  the 
same  manner  to  the  choristers,  in  a  vase-shaped  basket 
of  Indian  workmanship.^ 

The  cure  delivered  a  good  discourse,  exhorting  the 
people  to  attend  mass,  and  to  bring  their  children  as 
soon  as  they  had  reached  "  Page  de  raison,  sept  ans." 
Changing  into  English  he  spoke  of  "  Eenjens  "  and 
"  Airish  "  being  absent,  or  only  present  once  or  twice 
a  year,  saying,  "  It  is  a  command  of  the  church,  a 
sin  to  break  it;  if  a  sin  to  eat  pork  on  Friday,  how 
much  more  a  sin  to  be  absent  from  church." 

Although  Mr.  Kennedy  had  remarked  that  he  was 
returning  to  his  business,  Amy  slyly  hinted  that  his 
affairs  could  not  be  very  pressing,  as  he  showed  but 
slight  solicitude  about  getting  away;  whereas  he 
could  have  done  so,  had  dire  necessity  compelled,  by 
driving  to  Carleton,  crossing  to  Dalhousie,  and 
taking  the  Intercolonial  Railway,  without  awaiting 
the  return  of  the  steamer.  In  the  afternoon  the 
kindly  host  invited  his  guests  to  drive,  and  they  were 
"  nothing  loth."  The  wind,  having  veered  around  to 
its  old  quarter,  was  blowing  freshly  from  the  north- 
west, making  the  atmosphere  so  clear  that  vision  ex- 
tended to  seemingly  incredible  distance.     At  one  point 

1  This  ancient  form  of  service  is  seen  at  the  present  time  in 
France,  and  has  been  represented  in  noted  works  of  famous 
modern  painters. 


104       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

they  passed  over  a  bit  of  corduroy  road,  which  Rein- 
hart  said  the  natives  called  "  portash,"  i.e.,  "  port- 
age," a  carry  round  a  fall;  and  at  another  place  he 
spoke  of  the  "  sugaries,"  indicating  the  hills  covered 
with  maples,  adjoining  the  mountain  chain.  Each 
of  these  valuable  tracts  of  woodland  contains  from 
many  hundred  to  several  thousand  trees,  which  are 
tapped  in  April,  when  it  is  warm  enough  for  the  sap 
to  thaw  at  midday. 

The  class  in  history,  geography  and  statistics,  as 
the  lively  trio  dubbed  themselves,  also  learned  that 
one  who  works  in  a  sugary  is  called  a  "  sucrier,"  and 
that  among  French  Acadians  the  youngest  boy  of  a 
family  is  styled  "  le  joculot," — a  word  not  to  be 
found  in  Academical  French,  but  which  might  sig- 
nify to  these  people  the  joker,  —  this  youthful  scion 
also  being  known  as  "  The  Smeller  of  Sweetness  "  and 
"  The  Syrup-Eater."  Then  the  tourists  passed  the 
tiny  unpainted  church  of  the  Indian  Reservation,^ 
an  effective  point  in  the  pleasing  picture  of  mountain, 
plain  and  sparkling  Bay,  although  it  looked  as  if  it 
had  just  been  taken  from  the  box  containing  a  child's 
toy  village,  and  set  down  there.  Mount  Tracadie- 
gache,  instead  of  exhibiting  the  two  Giant's  Steps,  as 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Restigouche,  from  this  point  of 
view  appeared  curiously  broken  and  irregular,  but 
gained  rather  than  lost  in  grandeur  and  beauty. 

The  peculiar  name  caused  comment  and  queries 
which  residents   and  guide  books  seemed  unable  to 


1  Indians'  church  now  removed  to  Little  Cascapedia. 


"  MAREE-AH  **  105 

answer.  At  the  time  of  the  banishment  of  the  "  Neu- 
trals "  from  Nova  Scotia,  1755,  some  of  the  French 
Acadians  located  in  other  parts  of  the  Provinces, 
three  of  their  settlements  being  called  Tracadie.  It 
was  most  natural  that  they  should  desire  to  name 
their  new  homes  in  honor  of  the  old,  —  Terre  Acadie. 
In  this  case  the  significance,  —  Acadia's  Strong- 
hold,—  is  appropriate.  When  the  sad  and  forlorn 
people  drifted  back  after  the  dispersion,  this  grand 
guardian  of  the  region  dominated  the  scene  as  it  does 
now.  It  typified  to  them  a  fort  or  refuge,  a  firm 
anchorage.  Game  from  its  fastnesses  provided  food ; 
timber  from  its  forests  material  for  their  dwellings; 
and  to  this  day  it  is  their  beneficent  friend,  exerting 
benign  influence  on  climate  and  crops. 

The  party  next  approached  the  Cascapedia  River 
and  drove  for  several  miles  along  its  banks;  through 
grand  forests ;  and  the  girls  tried  to  form  some  faint 
idea  of  the  charms  of  wildwood  life  on  salmon-fish- 
ing excursions,  and  at  the  hunting  lodge,  far  in  the 
wilds,  of  which  the  Scotchman  had  told  them.  This 
is  the  Grand  Cascapedia,  the  Petit  Cascapedia  emp- 
tying into  the  Bay  at  New  Richmond,  beyond  Cap 
Noir;  and  this  river  was  named  by  the  Indians  Kigi- 
capagiac ;  an  appellation  so  evidently  compounded  of 
a  sneezing  cough  that  one  of  the  company  was  confi- 
dent that  the  sponsor  was  afflicted  with  influenza. 
Another,  affecting  a  shudder,  remarked  that  many 
things  improve  with  time,  the  modern  musical  title 
being  decidedly  preferable  to  the  old  tongue-tester. 


106       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Later,  a  group  on  the  front  doorstep  were  en- 
joying the  gorgeous  sunset  tints,  in  which  *'  celestial 
rosy  red,  love's  proper  hue,"  appropriately  predom- 
inated (one  young  woman  thought),  and  the  voices 
of  the  two  singers  blended  in  song  after  song,  while 
they  watched  the  moon  mounting  from  the  mirror- 
like water,  and  soaring  above  Cap  Marie,  which  lay 
black  and  weird  in  its  shining  path.  That  same 
astute  and  far-sighted  person  also,  feeling  that  the 
glamor  of  such  surroundings  must  be  irresistible,  con- 
fident that  a  poeme  d'amour  was  to  be  the  outcome 
of  all  this,  slyly  watched  certain  persons  with  the  air 
of  one  of  long  experience  in  such  matters,  and  in- 
dulged in  romantic  speculations,  being  herself,  of 
course,  invulnerable.  Mr.  Kennedy  had  expected  to 
take  the  steamer  from  this  point  in  the  morning,  but 
on  learning  that  Mr.  Reinhart  would  drive  the  ladies 
to  Carleton,  there  to  meet  the  boat,  he  heartily  ex- 
claimed, "  Why,  then,  I'm  with  you ! "  a  decision 
which  did  not  seem  unpleasant  news  to  the  cousins. 
Bright  and  early,  gay  and  fair,  the  quartette  started 
off  next  morning,  Mr.  Kennedy  seating  himself  by 
Mildred,  after  helping  Amy  to  a  position  beside  the 
driver.  A  good-bye  call  at  the  home  of  the  Mac- 
phersons  resulted  in  an  impromptu  concert,  in  which 
tenor  and  soprano  blended  in  pleasing  harmonies, 
and  the  gay  fisherman  distinguished  himself.  The 
ladies  were  presented  with  superb  bouquets  by  the 
fair  gardener  as  souvenirs  of  their  "  shipwreck ;  " 
Amy  declaring  that  these  should  make  the  others  of 


"  MAREE-^il "  107 

their  party  "  green  with  envy,"  and,  as  they  started 
on  again,  that  young  woman  merrily  improvised  — 

And  this  a  poet  calls  Shalore, 
That  is,  he  makes  it  rhyme  with  "  more  " ; 
But  we  are  sure  that  none  shall  err, 
Who  wend  their  way  to  Bay  Chaleur. 

"  Get  along  there,  what  do  I  feed  ye  fur?  Earn 
your  oats ! "  ejaculated  Mr.  George  (the  Only  and 
Original)  to  his  horses;  and  they  did  get  along  at  a 
remarkable  pace  over  the  good  road,  needing  no 
urging,  their  own  spirit  seeming  sufficient  spur. 
The  passenger  on  the  front  seat,  admiring  their 
glossy  coats,  was  told  by  their  master  that  he  reg- 
ularly gave  them  a  bath  in  the  salt  water  in  an  inlet 
near  his  house ;  that  they  enj  oyed  it,  and  required  less 
grooming;  while  the  habitans'  horses,  not  thus  made 
acquainted  with  old  Neptune,  displayed  "coats  as 
woolly  as  Newfoundland  dogs,"  he  said.  Though 
he  would  not  in  reality  ridicule  his  worthy  and  honest 
French  neighbors, —  for  he  was  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  them,  and  they  were  always  ready  to  crack  jokes 
with  him, —  he  convulsed  the  strangers  by  mimicking 
a  queer  old  habitan  driving  a  decrepit  horse;  as, 
stooping  forward  and  rounding  his  shoulders,  he 
slapped  the  reins  and  called  in  cracked  voice,  "  Allons 
mon  chou,  avance  man  coeur;  vite,  vite,  Marche 
done ! "  Knowing  how  cabbies  and  wagoners  in  the 
States  swear  at  their  poor  brutes,  the  girls  were 
pleased  to  learn  that  little  bad  language  is  heard 
among  the  French  Canadians,  and  one  was  reminded 


108      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

of  a  foreign  student  at  college  in  the  United  States, 
who,  remarking  on  the  fact  that  less  profanity  is 
heard  in  America  than  abroad  said,  "  In  my  country, 
for  no  reason,  a  man  will  make  you  a  whole  chain 
of  swears."  (This  was  probably  his  rendering  of 
our  expression,  "A  string  of  oaths.")  Perhaps  a 
tradition  of  the  famous  edict  of  Louis  XIV.,  in 
1666,  has  been  handed  down  among  the  habitans. 
In  that  a  series  of  punishments  were  ordered  for  pro- 
fanity, and  after  the  seventh  offense  the  tongue  was 
to  be  cut  out. 

Mr.  Reinhart  amused  the  travelers  by  relating  an 
incident  of  the  earlier  years  of  his  life  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  when  he  was  asked  to  drive  a  French  girl 
to  a  point  not  very  far  distant.  He  answered :  "  All 
right;  get  up;"  being  obliged  to  hold  his  horse,  so 
that  he  could  not  assist  her  into  his  vehicle.  "  And 
then  I  just  let  the  horse  go, —  I  was  a  roguish  boy, — 
and  you  ought  to  have  seen  her,  she  was  so  fright- 
ened ;  but  she  didn't  know  much  English,  and  thought 
I  knew  no  French,  so  she  didn't  know  how  to  ask  me 
to  stop  or  go  slower.  At  last  she  just  grabbed  me 
by  the  arm  and  said,  '  Plentee  get  opp  enoff ! ' 
making  signs  for  me  to  stop  and  let  her  get  out  to 
walk  the  rest  of  the  way."  The  young  person  on 
the  front  seat  also  learned  that  the  mother  and  sister 
of  their  host  did  reside  with  him  until  the  former 
died  and  the  latter  married  and  went  to  the  States ; 
but  he,  being  fond  of  the  place  and  the  sort  of 
Bohemian  life,  "  preferred  to  remain  in  the  P.  Q. ;" 


"  MAREE-^H  "  109 

his  auditor  atrociously  retorting,  "  There's  nothing 
p.q.  liar  in  that." 

Approaching  quite  near  Tracadiegache  they  dis- 
covered that  the  northern  slope,  or  rather  prolonga- 
tion of  the  range,  is  a  narrow-topped  steep  wall,  with 
a  curious  succession  of  reddish  seams  scoring  the  sides. 
These  are  timber  chutes,  down  which,  at  an  angle  of 
sixty  degrees,  wood  cut  from  the  plateau  above  is  sent 
whizzing  with  tremendous  force.  Reinhart  said, 
"  Once  an  ox  hauling  logs  above,  fell  down  one  of 
those  gulhes,  and  they  never  found  anything  of  him, 
not  even  so  much  as  a  hoof." 

On  the  outskirts  of  Carleton  village  appeared  the 
"  maison  d'education ; "  a  dignified  title  for  the 
school  house  to  assume,  as  announced  by  the  sign  over 
the  door.  Next  they  passed  the  convent,  then  the 
pretty  church,  the  cemetery  adjoining,  notable  for 
its  black  and  white  iron  and  wooden  crosses,  which  had 
a  foreign  look;  some  distance  beyond,  the  summer 
residence  of  the  Governor-General,  the  whole  hamlet 
in  its  neatness  and  quaintness  suggesting  a  Nor- 
wegian village.  By  this  time  the  steamboat  was 
visible  rounding  Cap  Noir  in  the  distance,  and  as  Mr. 
Reinhart's  horses  ''  must  be  put  up  for  a  bit  of  a  rest 
before  the  return  drive,"  he  made  his  adieux;  and 
while  Amy  detained  him  for  a  few  moments  more 
giving  messages  for  the  Macpherson  family,  with 
merry  promises  to  return  next  year  and  try  salmon 
fishing,  Mr.  Kennedy  and  Mildred  strolled  along  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  pier. 


110      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  drive  he  had  become 
silent  and  distrait,  though  the  lady  had  not  thought 
of  it  until  this  moment,  for  in  truth  she  also  had 
lapsed  into  quietude,  absorbed  in  contemplation  of 
the  lovely  pictures  of  the  'long  shore  drive;  and 
living  over  in  thought  the  novel  experiences  of  the 
past  few  days.  Though  surrounded  by  chattering 
habitans  they  seemed  to  be  for  the  first  time  alone, 
and  felt  a  singular  sense  of  isolation,  particularly 
when,  on  reaching  the  end  of  the  wharf,  Mr.  Kennedy 
opened  his  umbrella  to  shield  them  from  the  glare  of 
the  sun,  thereby  shutting  out  from  their  eyes  every- 
thing but  the  beautiful  Bay,  all  scintillating  sapphire. 
He  was  speaking  of  his  enjoyment  of  the  days  at 
Maria,  when  he  stopped  suddenly  and  there  was  a 
momentary  pause,  as  each  felt  a  sense  of  strange 
embarrassment.  Mildred  rather  hurriedly  made  some 
remark  about  the  hospitable  folk  of  their  recent  place 
of  sojourn,  their  admiration  for  the  kindly  people 
of  high  and  low  degree  who  had  seemed  to  join  in 
good-natured  rivalry  in  adding  to  the  pleasures  of  the 
strangers  within  their  Capes,  and  the  refreshing  sense 
of  unconventionality  in  it  all.  He  heartily  re- 
sponded, "  Yes ;  and  you  cannot  imagine  what  a  sur- 
prise it  was  to  me  to  behold  that  vision  on  George's 
doorstep;  'tis  a  picture  for  memory  to  treasure." 

Leaning  against  one  of  the  huge  mooring  spiles  he 
continued  impetuously :  "  You  cannot  realize  how 
great  was  the  fascination  of  womanly  companionship 
after  three  weeks  of  rough  camp  life.     Then  your 


"  MAREE-^/?  "  111 

singing: — how  your  voice  did  soar,  and  seem  to 
carry  me  along  with  it  in  irresistible  magnetism ! " 
Looking  out  over  the  water,  with  far-reaching  gaze, 
he  absently,  softly  sang,  "  Moi,  je  ne  cheris  que  les 
bleus,"  and  Mildred,  who  had  listened  as  if  spell- 
bound, seeming  to  come  to  herself,  made  a  movement 
as  if  shrinking  away,  but  the  gentleman  vehemently 
interrupted  himself : —  "  There  is  something  I  must 
tell  you.  You  may  have  thought, —  my  manner  may 
have  misled  you ;  forgive  me  if  it  should  be  so.  Do 
not  turn  away,"  he  implored,  and,  obtusely  stumbling 
on,  continued,  "  I  must  tell  you  that,  although  I  have 
in  our  agreeable  converse  in  these  few  days  at  yonder 
quaint  village,  given  you  an  insight  into  much  of  my 
life,  I  have  not  alluded  to  one  point." 

Miss  Ainsworth  had  listened  with  curiously  con- 
tradictory sensations  warring  in  her  brain ;  she  seemed 
about  to  speak  at  this  juncture,  and  had  been  absently 
unfastening  her  glove;  he  in  tactless  man  fashion 
plunged  at  the  climax,  continuing,  "  I  did  not  say 
the  whole  truth.  I  am  married,  and  on  my  way 
to  meet  my  wife  at  Campbellton."  Mildred,  possibly 
slightly  paler  than  usual,  had  removed  her  glove  and 
laughed  musically  as  she  exclaimed,  "  So  that,  then, 
is  your  confession.?  Well,  I  will  give  you  confidence 
for  confidence,  and  please  absolve  me  from  inten- 
tional misleading,  as  I  believe  you  incapable  of  the 
same;"  adding,  with  a  smile  and  frank  glance  of 
those  azure  eyes,  "  Such  informal  acquaintance  as 
that  brought  about  during  these  recent  days  makes 


112      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

one  feel  almost  like  an  old  friend,  and  I  can  speak 
thus  plainly.  The  truth  is," — and  here  she  turned 
outward  a  gem  on  the  third  finger  of  her  left  hand, — 
"  I,  '  hae  gien  my  promise  true ; '  next  week  Mr. 
Hartwell  comes  on  for  his  vacation,  and  in  the  winter 
we  shall  be  married.  I  hope" — but  just  then  the 
whistle  of  the  approaching  vessel  broke  in  merci- 
lessly; he  took  her  hand,  and,  with  the  air  of  a 
knight  of  old,  raised  it  to  his  lips  in  such  respectful 
manner  that  she  could  not  withdraw  it. 

As  Amy  came  forward  to  be  ready  to  step  on  the 
gang-plank  with  them,  he  was  closing  his  umbrella, 
his  countenance  unperturbed ;  and  the  attention  of  all 
was  directed  to  the  faces  of  the  passengers  crowding 
to  the  side  of  the  boat's  deck,  in  eager  quest  for  their 
friends,  who  must  have  been  so  dismayed  at  the  non- 
appearance of  the  truants  when  the  "  Admiral " 
called  on  Maria.  Amy  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  what  fun  it 
will  be  to  relate  our  adventures  to  the  others,"  thus 
diverting  Mildred's  maze  of  thought,  and  as  Jim  with 
the  girls  crowded  around  their  cousins,  even  Aunt 
Jemima  was  quite  infected  by  their  excitement.  The 
re-united  party  swarmed  together,  all  talking  at  once, 
the  newcomers  being  struck  dumb  when  Meg  called 
out,  "  Well,  how  did  you  like  Mr.  Reinhart's  estab- 
lishment? "  Sue  put  in  her  query,  "  Wasn't  that  a 
lovely  garden  ?  "  Martie  added,  "  Will  you  go  sal- 
mon fishing  next  year?"  and  Mrs.  Ellersley  anx- 
iously asked,  "But  who  is  Mr.  Kennedy?" 

That  pleasing  personage,  who  had  stepped  aside, 


"MAREE-^^ 


113 


was  thus  called  to  mind,  and  the  voluble  Amy  pre- 
sented him  to  her  Aunt,  whose  face  grew  unaccount- 
ably grave  and  long,  until,  in  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion, the  fact  was  casually  mentioned  that  he  was 
going  to  meet  his  wife  at  Campbellton;  a  bit  of 
information  which  caused  Amy  and  her  air-castle  to 
collapse.  The  chaperon  quite  monopolized  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Scotchman,  while  the  cousins  explained 
to  the  two  deserters  how  it  was  that  they  had  been 
able  to  take  the  wind  out  of  their  sails  by  forestalling 
their  story ; —  that  a  woman  from  Maria,  who  came 
on  board  at  that  place,  had  been  telling  of  the  sen- 
sation which  the  two  ladies  made  there,  retailing  all 
their  doings  to  a  friend  whom  she  met  on  the  steam- 
boat, and  thus  the  waifs  found  that  their  fame  had 
gone  abroad. 

Too  soon  the  port  was  reached,  and  the  party 
obliged  to  separate.  Mr.  Kennedy  had  a  word  for 
each, —  hopes  of  meeting  again  and  pleasant 
wishes, —  until  he  came  to  Mildred,  to  whom  he  made 
his  adieux  with  all  due  courtesy,  although  in  silence. 
"  They  two,  leal  and  true,"  could  have  in  their  hearts 
no  disloyalty  if  a  pleasant  summer  episode  should 
be  recalled,  when  to  mental  hearing  floated  the 
refrain  — 


A    SILHOUETTE 


115 


A   SILHOUETTE 

MY  Dear  Bob  :  — 
Here's  old  Barnes  down  on  me,  and  I  on 
my  luck!  Old  B.,  b  —  less  him,  says  noth- 
ing but  a  foreign  tour  will  do  me  any  good,  threatens 
me  with  direst  woes,  gives  me  choice  of  paralysis,  imbe- 
cility or  insanity  as  result  of  the  high-pressure  rate  at 
which  I've  been  living.  At  last  I've  made  a  compro- 
mise, and  agree  to  get  out  of  the  U.  S,  I  venture  to 
say  you'd  weep  and  howl  and  tear  your  hair,  in  grief 
and  anguish  and  despair,  if  you  could  inhabit  my  cor- 
porosity  just  at  this  present.  Just  when  I  have  such 
important  orders,  stretching  far  ahead,  and  the  com- 
petition for  designs  for  the  great  court-house  of  Z, 
two  months  hence!  However,  on  condition  that  I  get 
to  the  quietest,  most  out-of-the-way  places,  that  pre- 
cious B.  permits  some  work  on  those  same  drawings, 
a  certain  number  of  hours  per  day.  Equestrian  and 
pedestrian  exercise  prescribed,  and  violin  tolerated 
for  recreation;  so,  after  all,  you  may  agree  with  me 
in  saying,  as  old  Hatch  used  to,  no  matter  how  sur- 
prising or  startling  any  information  he  received, 
"  I'm  glad  it's  no  worse."  '  Tis  easy  for  you  to 
make  such  remark  when  you're  having  your  heart's 
desire  in  a  long  course  of  European  study  and  work. 

117 


118       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

So  here  you  find  me  in  the  southeast  corner  of  New 
Brunswick  engaged  in  —  himtmg! 

Not  a  wild  goose  chase  either,  or  a  quixotic  quest, 
though  a  quaint  and  queer  one,  at  the  beginning  of 
my  travels  northward.  One  would  naturally  expect 
to  find  Moncton  a  quiet  place,  instead  of  the  bustling 
town  it  is,  and  Jim  calls  the  headquarters  and  work- 
shops of  the  Intercolonial,  the  monasteries.  We  de- 
cide that  Owltown  would  be  a  more  appropriate  name 
for  the  place,  as  at  night  it  seems  most  wide-awake 
and  busy,  connections  with  the  most  important  trains 
to  be  made  at  2  a.m.  Therefore  we  might  not  have 
been  surprised  to  learn  that  at  night  also  the  Bore 
would  be  visible;  but  to  learn  just  when, —  there  was 
the  rub.  As  the  town  runs  on  both  standard  and 
local  time,  between  which  there  is  a  difi^erence  of 
three-quarters  of  an  hour,  '  twas  important  to  dis- 
cover by  which  schedule  the  Bore  might  be  expected ; 
but  of  course  no  one  knew,  a  surprising  ignorance 
and  indifference  prevailing  regarding  the  subject. 
No  one  at  the  station  or  hotel  could  enlighten  us,  and 
Jim  remarked,  "  In  the  States  anything  like  that 
would  be  stock  in  trade  to  the  whole  town;  it  would 
be  placarded  everywhere,  and,  in  fact,  we  would  be 
bored  to  death."  Accosting  some  urchins  with  the 
query,  "When  does  the  Bore  come  in.''"  they  look 
blank,  "  don't  know,"  and  as  they  follow  in  our  wake 
one  questions  the  other,  "  I  say,  what  is  the  Bore 
anyivay.f^ "  evidently  concluding  that  it  is  some 
strange  animal  in  the  circus,  as  they  watched  bill- 


A  SILHOUETTE  119 

posters  sticking  huge  gaudy  bills  on  the  long  fence 
across  the  way.  Even  directions  for  finding  the 
"  Petty-co- Jack "  (Petitcodiac)  River,  which  the 
strange  visitant  frequents,  were  .so  complicated  that 
the  most  dogged  determination  and  perseverance 
were  necessary  to  carry  out  our  resolution.^  Finally 
one  individual  whom  we  questioned  astounded  us 
with  the  brilliancy  of  a  sudden  inspiration,  which 
caused  him  to  suggest  that  we  should  inquire  at  the 
post-office,  and  there,  at  last,  we  learned  definitely 
the  hour  at  which  we  must  sally  forth  on  our  noctur- 
nal expedition. 

By  that  time  it  was  raining,  but  after  all  our 
trouble  we  resolved,  with  the  insistence  inherited  from 
our  firm  old  Quaker  ancestors,  that  nothing  should 
deter  us,  and  that  we  would  haunt  the  wharves  all 
night  if  necessary  rather  than  be  baffled  or  disap- 
pointed. Therefore,  fortified  with  repellent  gar- 
ments, we  defiantly  unfurled  umbrellas  and  sternly 
took  up  the  line  of  march  to  the  distant  wharf,  where 
the  first  object  which  presented  itself  to  view  was  a 
small  specimen  of  the  genus  homo,  who,  like  a  Jack- 
in-a-box,  suddenly  appeared  from  a  schooner,  which 
was  firmly  imbedded  in  the  mud  forty  feet  or  more 
below.  Jim  remarked,  "  'Tis  evident  why  the  direc- 
tions for  finding  the  river  were  so  muddled.  I  never 
saw  such  a  tremendous  quantity  of  wet  clay  before." 
The  small  boy  informed  us  that  they  were  waiting 

1  Names  are  surprisingly  changed  hereabouts;  Magaguada- 
vic,  for  instance,  is  always  Maggy  Davitt. 


120       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

for  the  "  Bore,"  too,  and  were  to  go  out  with  the  tide, 
and  the  captain  would  be  down  about  ten  or  eleven 
o'clock.  The  hours  plodded  slowly  by;  enthusiasm 
had  cooled  and  died  out,  but  clear  grit  and  obstinacy, 
as  the  Yankees  say,  fortified  us,  and  no  one  suggested 
or  even  thought  of  giving  up  the  strange  quest.  We 
sat  on  piles  of  bark  and  played  games,  walked  as  near 
the  dizzy  verge  of  the  towering  wharf  as  we  dared 
(with  the  thought  before  us  of  making  clay  molds 
of  ourselves  in  the  event  of  a  misstep),  and  the  youth- 
ful tar  entertained  us  with  specimens  of  his  profi- 
ciency in  yarn  spinning,  evidently  thinking  us  for- 
eigners fair  game  and  remarkably  gullible  as  we  sol- 
emnly swallowed  his  preposterous  statements.  Fi- 
nally he  slipped  down  the  cordage  and  disappeared 
for  awhile  (to  rest  his  conscience,  which  must  have 
been  stretched  to  the  utmost),  and  at  last,  long  before 
the  witching  hour,  the  aspect  of  affairs  grew  more  en- 
couraging. 

From  the  south  a  breeze  sprang  up,  the  rain 
stopped,  the  moon  shone  out,  and  two  men,  the 
schooner's  crew,  appeared,  sauntering  leisurely  along, 
and  called  to  us,  "  Listen !  "  What  a  profound,  un- 
earthly-seeming hush  pervaded  all  Nature!  The 
very  water,  shining  placidly  beyond  the  wide  expanse 
of  soft  clay,  seemed  waiting  in  expectancy,  and, 
struggling  to  our  ears  from  the  far  distance,  came  a 
faint  suggestion  of  sound,  a  whisper  in  the  ear  of 
Mother  Earth.  A  moment  more  and  this  sound  was 
augmented  ten-fold ;  then,  at  the  curve  of  the  stream 


A  SILHOUETTE  121 

just  below,  a  flash,  a  sparkle  in  the  clear  moonlight. 
Another  instant,  and  all  across  the  wide  river  bed,  in  a 
mad  rush  of  tremendous  rapidity,  came  the  wall  of 
water,  at  least  four  feet  in  height,  roaring  on  and  on, 
a  great  white-crested  wave,  reflecting  the  clear  moon- 
light. Beyond,  piling  over  the  first  powerful  surge, 
came  a  second  one,  foaming,  sparkling,  curling,  as  if 
in  exultant  eff^ort  to  overleap  its  predecessor;  and  in 
a  second  the  whole  dark  mass  of  seething,  roaring 
water  had  rushed  by  us,  and  was  tearing  its  way  far 
up  stream.  The  vessels,  which  a  moment  before 
were  stranded  and  keeled  over  in  abject  helplessness, 
now  became  erect,  buoyant  and  saucy;  their  crews 
appeared  with  the  suddenness  of  bees  from  a  hive,  the 
air  filled  with  sounds  of  rattling  cordage,  and  orders 
were  tossed  back  and  forth  in  shouts  to  deck  hands. 
The  vast  moving  mass  of  water,  covered  with  silvered 
wavelets  dancing  merrily,  was  in  itself  the  greatest 
contrast  to  the  preceding  placidity,  and  all  was  life 
and  bustle.  We  could  believe  after  this  that  unwary 
men  and  animals  are  sometimes  caught  and  over-pow- 
ered in  this  mighty  onslaught;  indeed,  I  am  firmly 
persuaded  that,  in  the  spring  tides,  an  army  like 
Pharoah's  might  be  overwhelmed  with  Biblical  thor- 
oughness. 

Perhaps  you  know  that  the  bore  can  be  witnessed 
in  Chinese  rivers, —  Hoogly,  Hangchow  Teintang  — 
also  in  the  Amazon ;  where  the  Indians,  trying  to  imi- 
tate the  sound  of  the  roaring  water  call  it  "  pororoca." 
You    may    be    aware    also    that    in    some    Northern 


122       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Countries  it  is  called  the  Eagre  —  Jim  says  that  must 
be  because  it  screws  its  way  so  eagerly  into  the  land. 
I  look  the  "  pointed  remarks  "  to  which  I  do  not  give 
voice;  and  inform  him  that  Oegir  was  the  Scandina- 
vian god  of  the  sea. 

Well,  Bob,  my  boy,  this  will  be  a  journalistic 
screed,  and  I  pick  up  my  ink-slinger  again  to  add  to 
the  foregoing,  by  recounting  later  adventures.  I 
j  oined  a  party  of  "  American  "  friends,  in  an  old- 
timey  inn,  severe  in  plainness,  but  unexceptionable 
in  neatness;  an  old  Loyalist  house  which  has  stood 
for  over  a  century  on  the  shore  of  Minas  Basin,  that 
peculiar  arm  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  We  liked  to 
"  make  believe "  that  we  had  been  set  back  a  cen- 
tury, the  surroundings  were  so  simple,  the  people  so 
old-fashioned.  The  mirrors  in  our  rooms  twisted  our 
faces  askew,  so  we  are  cured  of  vanity ;  and  neckgear 
and  chevelure  were  almost  permanently  awry;  but 
our  hostess'  cookery  was  excellent,  and  the  most  con- 
firmed dyspeptic  joined  the  Pi  Eta  Society,  even 
when  obliged  to  partake  of  those  dainties  by  means 
of  two-tined  forks  with  buck-horn  handles.  Though 
one  remarked  that  the  Basin  is  well  named,  as  its 
resorts  are  minus  modem  improvements,  we  sighed 
not  for  such  things,  but  were  content.  One  day, 
when  inquiring  the  way,  we  were  answered :  "  Keep 
this  road  till  you  come  to  a  gate  in  the  woods,  which 
will  lead  you  out  on  the  King's  Highway,"  which 
sounded  so  oldtime-y  we  decided  to  "  make  believe " 
we  were  living  in  the  times  of  "  La  Nouvelle  France." 


A  SILHOUETTE  123 

The  Gossip  chatted  with  the  postmaster,  learning 
that  he  "  had  lived  in  the  village  fifty  years,  had  been 
to  Eastport,  had  no  curiosity  about  any  other  place, 
and  did  not  wish  to  travel."  Blessed  Contentment! 
Our  two  great  pedestrians,  known  to  our  Company  as 
the  Tramps,  were  accosted  one  day  by  a  rough  coun- 
tryman, who,  driving  lazily  in  his  clumsy  vehicle,  re- 
marked, "  I  like  to  see  you  slinging  yourselves  along 
like  that !  "  As  a  sample  of  the  unsophisticated  sim- 
plicity of  the  folk,  an  Annapolis  physician  told  us  of 
one  queer  codger  who  sent  him  two  and  a  half  her- 
rings and  a  lobster,  as  payment  for  visits  amounting 
to  $5.00. 

Directly  before  us,  and  apparently  close  at  hand, 
though  five  miles  distant,  Blomidon  loomed  grandly 
over  the  water,  wreaths  of  mist  occasionally  dressing 
his  crest  fantastically;  far  to  the  left  Silver  Crag, 
and  still  farther  to  the  right  Capes  Sharp  and  Split, 
standing  majestic  and  gorgeous  in  color.  Our  neigh- 
bor the  pilot  said,  "  There  is  what  they  call  Kiddzes 
cave  on  the  other  side  o'  Cape  Split,  but  it  don't 
'mount  to  much,  and  away  down  beyond  Eylerhoe 
[Isle-au-Haut]  is  another  spot  where  people  dug  into 
the  shore,  where  they  say  he  hurried  a  lot  o'  Spanish 
dubbloons."  "  Yes,"  said  I,  "  always  doubloons,  and 
doubly  loony  those  who  *  threw  good  money  after 
bad '  in  such  search,"  which  attempt  at  pleasantry 
the  old  fellow  did  not  appreciate,  though  he  sagely  re- 
plied, "  There's  been  more  money  lost  in  such  work 
than   ever  was  hurried;   sailors   can't  keep  it  long 


124       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

enough  for  that,  it  burns  holes  in  their  pockets." 
In  the  crown  of  France  there  was  a  fine  amethyst 
from  Blomidon,  and  early  explorers  found  in  the 
neighborhood  ( of  Parrsboro )  "  crystals  and  blue 
stones  of  shining  colour,  similar  in  appearance  to 
those  known  by  the  name  of  Turkcese."  "  A  beauti- 
ful specimen  of  this  kind  was  broken  into  two  pieces ; 
one  was  given  to  De  Monts,  the  other  to  Poutrin- 
court,  and  they  on  their  return  to  Paris,  had  them 
handsomely  set  by  a  jeweler,  and  presented  them  to 
the  King  and  Queen." 

The  Sage  learned  of  the  professor  from  the  college 
across  the  Basin  that  remarkable  fossil  trees  of  the 
carboniferous  period,  resembling  the  petrified  forest 
of  the  Colorado  River,  are  to  be  seen  in  this  region. 
One  section  is  ten  miles  in  length,  and  one  tree 
twenty-five  feet  high.  They  are  exposed  by  the  ac- 
tion of  the  tide,  and  visible  at  the  South  Joggin,  and 
at  Chignecto  Channel.  The  English  professor  who 
started  out  tall  and  thin  in  the  morning,  came  in  at 
noon  from  Partridge  Island  looking  corpulent. 
From  numerous  pockets  in  his  blouse  he  disgorged  a 
vast  store  of  minerals,  and  was  enlightened,  to  his 
amusement,  by  explanation  of  the  American  slang 
phrase  anent  "  a  pocket  full  of  rocks."  Attending 
service  in  the  queer  old  bam  of  a  church  with  un- 
painted  and  time-stained  pews  and  wood  work,  the 
pastor  gave  out  the  "  therty-nointh  peraphraz," 
stated  that  the  "  evening  meeting  goes  in  at  six 
o'clock  and  lets  out  at  seven  and  a  quayrter ;  "  and, 


A  SILHOUETTE  125 

not  having  seen  a  newspaper  or  even  a  letter  since 
leaving  the  States,  I  began  to  wonder  where  I  was, 
anyhow.  The  men  of  the  congregation  were  old  salts 
apparently,  but  the  women  had"  wonderfully  clear 
complexions,  and  all  the  faces  were  strong,  honest, 
frank  and  pleasant  to  look  upon.  When  the  Sage,  in 
a  discussion  at  table,  stated  that  there  are  31,558,149 
seconds  in  a  year,  we  mourned  his  rashness  in  giving 
such  information  above  a  whisper;  for  time  is  no 
object  to  the  people  of  Parrsboro  apparently,  and  our 
landlord  (whom  we  called  Mr.  Tardus)  might  thereby 
be  encouraged  to  delay,  linger  and  wait  still  more. 
And  yet  that  refreshing  way  of  taking  things  easy 
was  one  of  our  objects  in  coming! 

Want  of  enterprise  is  evident  through  the  region; 
houses  have  stood  for  six  years  unfinished,  and  in 
some  cases  the  framework  was  beginning  to  fall. 
Sometimes  the  family  live  in  the  L,  awaiting  comple- 
tion of  the  house  proper,  and  even  there  the  window 
frames  have  darks  instead  of  "  lights,"  the  broken 
glass  being  replaced  with  bits  of  shingle.  The  tide 
rose  higher  and  higher,  until  during  the  last  week  of 
July  the  long  and  massive  log  pier  was  completely 
submerged  several  times;  the  Sage  and  the  Oracle 
having  the  satisfaction  of  convincing  themselves  by 
actual  measurement  that  the  rise  was  forty-five  feet. 
Through  most  of  the  year  it  is  between  thirty  and 
forty  feet  at  this  part  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  In 
Chignecto  Bay,  another  arm  of  Fundy,  the  rise  is  oc- 
casionally sixty  feet,  though  generally  between  forty 


126       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

and  fifty  feet.     That  bay  being  long  and  narrow,  the 
water  crowds  in. 

Storms  came  on  again,  and  continued  with  persist- 
ence ;  our  neighbor  the  pilot  remarked  that  we  "  were 
in  for  a  spell  o'  weather,"  and  we  became  aware  that 
we  were  under  two  rules;  King  Edward's,  whose 
reign  is  peaceful  and  mild,  and  Dame  Nature's, 
whose  rain  is  aggressive,  arbitrary  and  exasperating 
—  a  time  to  test  the  resources  of  the  summerers  — 
and  so  came  into  existence  an  original  newspaper,  but 
with  its  first  and  last  issue  the  "  Weakly  Pa's  Borer  " 
disappeared  from  journalistic  ranks,  the  editors  of 
Provincial  papers  breathed  freely  at  the  extinction  of 
such  a  formidable  rival.  I  am  permitted  to  give  but 
one  extract  from  its  columns;  try  it.  Bob,  at  your 
Quill  Club,  as  a  "  missing  word  "  game,  and  see  if 
your  Dabblers  can  fill  the  blanks  with  the  names  of 
colors. 

THE  IRASCIBLE  ARTIST. 

He  took  a  dose  of  Raw  8(i)enna, 

Then  with  a  grim  and  Flake  White  face 

He  left  the  city  of  Vienna 

At  very  swift  and  steady  pace. 

With  voice  resembling  Indian  Yellow 

He  hailed  a  stout  and  lusty  fellow 

With  "  Car-mine  herr !  "  and  Indigo 

And  rattled  straight  to  the  d^pdt. 

Midst  howling  winds  and  pelting  rain 

He  crossed  the  Neutral  Tint-ed  main. 

Vowing  he'd  "  ne'er  go  there  again ! " 

Like  war-horse  sniffing  at  the  fray 

He  stormed;  the  ropes  were  Charcoal  Gray, 

He  watched  a  sailor  haul  a  bowlin' 

And  saw  the  spars  were  Aureolin. 

A  wave  dashed  over,  quite  a  flood. 

And  stained  his  coat  like  Dragon's  Blood. 


A  SILHOUETTE  127 

He  sat  him  down  and  tried  to  think; 

The  cabin  rug,  Italian  Pink, 

His  weary  eyes  quite  seemed  to  hurt, — 

A  better  shade  he  thought  Terre  Verte. 

(On  ships  the  best  taste  is  not  seen; 

The  couch  he  thought  was  Capucine.) 

In  storms  they  penned  him  in  his  berth, 

The  curtains  tinted  Cologne  Earth. 

With  temper  vicious  as  an  adder 

He  went  to  bed,  but  up  Rose  Madder; 

He  said,  "  These  Vert  d'eau  waves  no  more 

I'll  cross,  but  ever  stay  on  shore: 

No  voyages  henceforth  I'll  take 

Unless  upon  a  placid  Lake," 

From  mal-de-mer's  Paynes  Gray  his  face  was, 

From  weakness  also  slow  his  pace  was. 

The  Lamp  Black  shadows  o'er  him  threw. 

He  growled,  "  Tho'  not  a  Proosian  Blue 

I'll  be  henceforth  Ultramarine 

And  ne'er  in  such  fix  will  be  seen." 

With  falt'ring  step,  all  up  and  down 

He  paced  the  deck;  'twas  Vandyke  Brown; 

And  noticed  that  the  gangway  ladder 

Was  tinted  with  a  rich  Brown  Madder, 

The  morning  sky  above  his  head 

All  glowing  shone  with  bright  Bed  Lead; 

A  voice  aloft  cried  out  "  Land  Ho ! " 

And  down  he  plunged  to's  room  below. 

His  wife  lay  wrapped  in  peaceful  slumber 

—  Her  long  eye-lashes  were  Burnt  Umber  — 

And  he  began  to  shake  and  poke  her 

(Tho'  never  known  to  be  a  joker) 

And  with  a  horrid  Yellow  Ochre. 

Then  danced  a  sort  of  wild  cotillion, 

And  bet  his  last  quart  o'  Vermilion  — 

"  When  I'm  once  on  that  wharfs  Deep  Chrome  — 

You'll  see  if  ever  more  I'll  roam ! " 

At  last  the  spell  o'  weather  was  broken,  we  were 
released  from  its  thrall,  and,  ascending  Partridge 
Island  (250  feet)  for  a  last  view,  took  away  in  our 
minds  grand  memorabilia  to  call  up  in  future  times. 
To  the  right  the  fine  Rainbow  Cliff  of  East  Bay,  the 
bit  of  green  at  the  summit  of  the  many-hued  rocky 


U8      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

eminence,  whitened  with  daisies  and  edged  with  dark 
spruce  trees;  beyond,  Cape  Sharp,  Hke  a  gigantic 
sleeping  Hon.  In  the  distance  Cap  d'Or  appeared  in 
exquisite  violet  through  the  film  of  a  passing  shower 
which  momentarily  dropped  its  veil,  while  Cape 
Split,  in  neutral  gray  and  indigo,  lifted  its  sharp  out- 
lines to  the  left,  above  the  rushing,  roaring  current 
of  Minas  Channel,  which  "  tears "  by  the  base  of 
Blomidon.^ 

Well,  Bob,  here's  at  ye  ag'in,  and  now  from  an 
island  in  Bay  Chaleur;  and^  if,  when  our  party  at 
Basin  Minas  was  forced  to  break  up,  my  heart  went 
with  one  fair  maid,  what  is  that  to  thee?  Thou 
knewest  it  before,  Fidus  Achates ;  and  also  that  in  all 
my  architectural  work  planning  for  a  certain  sweet 
home  of  the  future  was  my  most  enticing  study. 
Well,  they  —  my  companions  —  were  not  bound  to 
carry  out  a  prescription  —  or  live  it,  rather  —  and 
to  obey  Barnes's  stem  behest,  therefore  I  traveled  on 
here,  solus. 

Bonaventure  Island  is  three  and  a  half  miles  long, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  width;  its  high,  rolling 
surface  dotted  with  cottages,  its  imposing  cliffs  — 
some  five  hundred  feet  in  height  —  overlooking  the 
bay.     The  conglomerate  rock  is,  in  some  places  along 

1  As  there  is  such  a  strong  current,  both  in  water  and  air, 
drawing  through  Minas  channel,  sailors  of  the  Basin  ports 
will  tell  you  that  the  picturesque  promontory  was  originally 
called  "  Blow-me-down."  I  give  you  this  "  important  infor- 
mation" for  what  it  is  worth,  though  preferring  myself  the 
(probably)  old  French  cognomen. 


A  SILHOUETTE  129 

its  shores,  curiously  eaten  by  the  waves;  while  in 
others  it  has  the  appearance  of  having  suddenly 
cooled  when  boiling,  and  overflowing,  as  the  rock  laps 
over  in  rounded  layers. 

This  coast  was  settled  by  descendants  of  the  Aca- 
dians  banished  from  "  Nouvelle  Ecosse."  Some  of 
those  forlorn  exiles  were  harbored,  housed  and  com- 
forted by  the  French  Quaker,  Anthony  Benezet,  in 
the  City  of  Brotherly  Love ;  but  how  did  any  happen 
to  stray  into  this  region  so  far  from  their  old  home? 
In  the  official  report  of  the  time  the  infamous  In- 
tendant  Bigot  stated  to  the  Minister,  M.  de  Boishe- 
bert,  that  a  sailing  vessel  carrying  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  women  and  children  from  Port  Royal  be- 
came separated  during  a  storm  from  other  vessels 
(  also  filled  with  families  of  the  banished  "  Neutrals  "  ) 
and  the  frigate  escorting  them.  He  also  reported 
that  the  Acadians  revolted,  and  obliged  the  captain 
to  take  them  to  the  river  St.  John.  A  venerable  in- 
habitant of  Bonaventure,  whose  grandfather,  with 
his  family,  was  in  the  ship  spoken  of  by  Bigot,  gave 
to  an  old  chronicler  of  "  La  Gaspesie  "  a  different  ver- 
sion, showing  the  simple,  childlike  faith  of  the  people 
of  that  olden  time.  A  few  days  after  leaving  Port 
Royal  a  violent  tempest  arose,  and,  as  there  were 
some  old  sailors  among  the  prisoners  who  were  more 
familiar  with  the  navigation  of  these  coasts  than  the 
English,  the  captain,  despairing  of  saving  the  vessel 
with  his  feeble  and  incompetent  crew,  called  the 
Acadians  to  his  assistance ;  and  they,  being  anxious  to 


ISO       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

save  their  families,  did  not  wait  to  be  urged.  Amid 
the  terrors  of  the  storm  the  prisoners  released  their 
companions  from  captivity,  sent  the  captain  with  his 
sailors  into  the  hold,  and  took  command  of  the  vessel 
themselves.  The  liberated  captives  threw  them- 
selves on  their  knees,  reciting  litanies  to  "  La  Sainte 
Vierge ; "  then,  with  strengthened  confidence,  they 
attached  a  scapulary  to  the  rudder,  praying  their 
Good  Mother  to  guide  the  vessel  while  they  attended 
to  ropes  and  sails  and  the  working  of  the  ship. 

The  whole  of  this  vast  peninsula  of  Gaspesie  is  a 
region  of  very  great  resources,  as  yet  but  little 
known.  The  coast  is  edged  by  a  narrow  border  of 
cultivated  land  with  scattered  hamlets  and  villages, 
but  the  interior  is  a  terra  incognita,  and  a  tremen- 
dous wilderness  of  impenetrable  forest,  abounding 
with  game  and  containing  great  numbers  of  lakes  and 
streams.  The  sea  provides  the  best  fertilizers  for  the 
farmers  by  casting  weeds  and  fish  on  the  shore.  The 
temperature  of  Bay  Chaleur  in  summer  is  the  same 
as  that  of  Berlin  and  Paris,  and  thirty  to  seventy 
minutes  higher  than  that  of  the  principal  towns  of 
England,  Scotland  and  Russia.  The  atmosphere  is 
remarkably  even  and  delicious  in  summer,  and  al- 
though in  winter  the  mercury  falls  lower  than  in 
many  well-known  regions  of  Europe  of  the  same 
latitude,  the  air  is  so  dry  that  it  is  much  more  health- 
ful and  agreeable  than  in  those  regions,  or  in  many 
parts  of  the  States,  where  dampness  causes  a  pene- 
trating chill.     At  New  Carlisle,  one  of  the  largest 


A  SILHOUETTE  131 

and  prettiest  settlements,  the  season,  exempt  from 
frost,  exceeds  four  months  and  a  half,  and  in  the 
Province  wheat  and  maize  are  raised  when  in  the 
same  latitude  of  Europe  such  grains  would  not  come 
to  maturity.  The  climate  of  the  Bay  coast  is  more 
even  and  mild  than  on  the  northern  river  shore,  the 
winds  being  tempered  by  the  ranges  of  mountains. 

So  there,  Bob,  is  enough  of  the  statistical  for  you ; 
and  now  imagine  me  established  in  a  French  farm- 
house on  this  fine  island,  with  the  remarkable  Perce 
rock,  the  villages  and  grand  mountains  of  the  north 
shore  always  before  me.  The  people  seem  guileless 
and  content.  My  violin  has  won  their  hearts,  and  I 
pick  up  their  quaint  songs  and  melodies,  and  learn 
their  legends,  naturally  numerous  among  seafaring 
people.  Nowhere  can  such  thorough  enjoyment  of 
the  terpsichorean  art  be  seen  as  among  the  French 
Canadians,  and  when  I  saw  away  for  their  benefit  in 
the  evenings  they  enter  into  the  sport  with  the  zest  of 
children  on  a  holiday. 

My  host's  bewitching  daughter,  Artemise,  has  two 
ardent  swains  in  her  train,  and  I  amuse  myself  watch- 
ing the  demure  little  damsel  and  studying  the  little 
drama.  Now  it  is  the  young  Armand  who  seems  to 
be  gaining  in  the  race;  then  it  is  Jules  apparently. 
They  are  strong,  sturdy  young  fishermen,  between 
whom  it  would  be  difficult  for  any  damsel  to  choose, 
it  seems  to  me.  Jules  is  more  energetic,  seemingly; 
Armand  quiet,  thoughtful.  The  maiden  shows  no 
preference,  and  for  my  part  I  cannot  guess  who  may 


122       TRANS-CONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

be  the  successful  one.  Meanwhile  Artemise  sings 
for  me  antique  chansons  handed  down  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  among  these  delightfully  un- 
worldly folk. 


AURAI-JE  NANETTE? 


$ 


SB 


^ 


1.  Par    derriSr'  chez  mon  pSr*  Lui    ya-t-un    bois   jo  -  li; 

1.  Back  of    my  father's  house  There  is     a    pret-  tj  sight, 

2.  II       chante  pour  ces' belles  Qui  n'ont  pas  de    ma-ri. 
2.  'Tis  far    nnpromised    fair  His  notes  fall  from    a-  bove; 


i 


E^ 


1 ^ 

Le    ros  -  sig  -  nol    y  chante    Et  le   jour   et     la  nuit. 
A  charming  wood  where  nightingales  Sing  day  and  night 
11      ne  chant*  pas  pour  moi  Car  j' en    ai-t-un     jo  -  li. 
For  me     is    not    his  song  so  rare,  I've  my  true  love! 


P 


■^ 


li=r- 


^^N=^ 


Au  -  rai    -     je      Ivanette?     Je     crois    que    non. 
Can       I         have    Nanette?      I      can  -  not   guess; 


I 


i 


s 


Au  -  rai  -  je        Nanette?      Je    crois     que     ouL 
Sometimes     I      think  "no"     and     sometimes  "ye«." 

3.  II  n'est  point  dans  la  danse, 

II  est  bien  loin  d'ici; 
II  est  dans  la  Hollande: 
Les  Hollandais  I'ont  pris. 

4.  Que  donneriez-vous  belle 

Qui  I'am^n  'rait  id? 

Je  donnerais  Versailles, 

Paris  et  Saint  Denis. 


A  SILHOUETTE  133 

5.  Je  donnerais  Versailles, 
Paris  et  Saint  Denis, 
Et  la  claire  fontaine 
De  mon  jardin  joli. 

3.  'Tis  not  at  fete  or  dance 

My  true  love  would  be  found 
But  through  the  war's  mischance  he  dwells 
On  foreign  ground. 

4.  What  would  be  thy  reply 

If  I  bring  him  back  to  thee? 
I'd  give  to  thee  Versailles, 
Paris  and  Saint  Denis. 

5.  I'd  give  to  thee  Versailles, 

Paris  and  St.  Denis, 
Also  the  fount  within  my  garden 
Flowing  free. 

Then  Pere  Boucharde  in  his  oldtime-y  French  and 
quaint  phraseology  told  of: — 

LE   FEU    DES   ROUSSI. 

According  to  ancient  superstition,  if  one  does  not 
partake  of  the  Holy  Communion  at  least  once  a  year, 


Note. — The  oldest  songs,  those  which  have  been  least  changed 
from  the  original  —  sung  by  and  handed  down  from  earliest 
settlers  —  are  heard  on  the  lower  St.  Lawrence  and  Bay  Cha- 
leur.  Their  iteration  adapted  them  to  the  use  of  voyageurs, 
when  keeping  time  with  oars,  on  long  journeys.  This  mo- 
notonous repetition  made  them  popular  with  old-time  domes- 
tics, as  lullabies;  the  most  rebellious  child  being  thus  irre- 
sistibly conquered.  The  words  of  this  song  are  adapted  to 
several  different  melodies  in  Canada,  but  with  the  refrain: 

Gai,  Ion  la,  gai  le  rosier 
Du  joli  mois  du  mai, 

and  in  other  versions  it  is  "  ma  tante "  instead  of  "  mon 
pSre,"  whose  garden  is  frequented  by  nightingales.  The  words 
of  "  Cecilia "  are  also  sung  to  a  different  air  with  the  re- 
frain: 

Mon,  ton,  ton,  turlutaine. 


134       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

he  will  at  the  seventh  year  of  such  wicked  neglect  be 
transformed  into  a  hobgoblin  or  were-wolf.  Well, 
let  me  tell  you  of  the  little  Cyprien  Roussi.  The 
poor  child,  when  very  young,  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  both  parents,  and  fell  to  the  care  of  an  aged  un- 
cle. This  old  man  left  the  boy  to  do  as  he  pleased, 
allowing  him  absolute  liberty,  never  concerning  him- 
self about  the  child  otherwise  than  to  scold  him 
severely  when  he  did  not  come  home  at  meal  times. 
Thus  the  boy  grew  almost  to  manhood  as  untamed 
and  untrammeled  as  a  wild  animal  of  the  forest;  and 
gathered  about  him  a  merry  troop  of  reckless  youths, 
all  daredevils  Hke  himself.  What  one  did  not  think 
of  another  did  in  the  way  of  mischief  and  roguery, 
and  the  lawless  band  were  the  terror  of  the  country- 
side. Cyprien  had  not  been  even  to  the  Easter  com- 
munion for  six  years,  and  six  months  of  the  seventh 
and  fatal  year  had  passed;  so  the  old  wives  and  gos- 
sips of  the  village  began  to  put  their  heads  together 
and  whisper  mysteriously,  prophesying  a  dreadful 
doom  to  the  leader  of  the  scapegraces. 

But  one  fine  Sunday  the  parishioners  were 
astounded,  for  this  youth,  who  had  not  been  seen 
anywhere  for  three  weeks  previous,  appeared  at  the 
grand  mass  in  the  church,  and  the  people  could 
hardly  believe  their  eyes  when  they  beheld  Cyprien 
piously  kneeling  at  the  chancel  rail,  receiving  the 
sacrament  at  the  hands  of  the  beloved  cure.  The 
solution  of  the  mystery  was  very  simple,  however, 
for  the  little  boy  of  the  bow  and  arrows  was  at  the 


A  SILHOUETTE  136 

root  of  it  all.  The  discreet,  modest  and  devout  little 
contouriere,  Marie,  had  convinced  Cyprien  of  his  evil 
ways ;  yes,  and  she  undertook  to  keep  him  in  the  path 
of  rectitude,  and  to  take  care  of  him  for  life,  for  two 
months  afterwards  they  were  married  and  moved  to 
Paspebiac,  where  the  former  idle  fellow,  who  had  now 
become  sober,  active  and  punctual,  was  employed  by 
the  house  Robin,  who  know  how  to  value  such  traits 
in  their  employees. 

All  was  blissful  life  now  for  these  two,  and  so 
passed  fifteen  years  over  the  contented  family.  But 
alas !  one  day  when  Cyprien  and  his  son  of  thirteen 
approached  their  humble  dwelling,  ]\Iarie,  who  always 
watched  at  the  door  for  them  at  that  hour,  was  not  to 
be  seen,  and  an  ominous  silence  prevailed.  This  was 
explained  all  too  soon,  when  the  father  and  son 
reached  the  threshold,  for  then  plaintive  and  distress- 
ing moans  were  heard,  and  behold  the  poor  Marie 
lying  on  the  floor  in  excruciating  agony.  Yes,  she 
had  overturned  a  great  caldron  of  boiling  water,  and 
was  now  almost  dying.  She  said  in  feeble  tones: 
"  My  husband,  my  life  goes  fast ;  promise  me  before 
I  leave  thee  that  thou  wilt  never  take  the  liquor,  and 
will  teach  our  boy  to  become  a  good,  true  man."  The 
weeping  husband  replied :  "  Be  at  ease,  my  Marie ;  I 
shall  always  remember  it;  I  will  keep  the  promise." 
Then  the  good  wife  embraced  her  dear  ones,  and  with 
a  sweet  smile  of  resignation  breathed  her  life  out  with 
a  gentle  sigh. 

Now  passed  the  days  gloomy  and  joyless;  Cyprien 


136       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

and  his  son  wandered  about  aimlessly  and  desolate. 
One  day  during  a  cold,  bleak  term  at  the  last  of 
May,  they  were  fishing  with  Gendron,  a  friend  of 
Cyprien's,  who  blew  his  fingers  and  flung  his  arms 
about  to  conquer  the  chill.  Then  he  drew  a  bottle  of 
rum  from  his  pocket,  saying,  "  Take  a  cup,  man. 
Warm  thyself ! "  But  Cyprien  answered,  "  No ; 
thank  you,  friend,  I  do  not  drink ;  keep  it  yourself." 
But  then  the  temptation  assailed  him;  he  was  seized 
with  a  shiver;  his  hands  were  so  benumbed  that  be 
had  no  feeling  in  them,  and,  dropping  the  handle  of 
the  rudder  he  reached  for  the  bottle  and  took  a  long 
draught.  Alas !  alas !  he  had  lied  to  his  dear  dead 
wife,  whose  spirit  watched  over  him.  It  is  a  dread- 
ful thing  to  break  your  word  to  one  who  has  gone! 
The  next  morning  the  people  of  the  village  discov- 
ered a  barge  thrown  keel  upwards  on  the  shore,  and 
the  two  men  and  boy  were  never  seen  again.  Since 
that  disaster  a  bluish  flame  is  seen  flickering  and 
flitting  over  the  Bay,  generally  half  way  between 
Caraquet  and  Paspebiac.  Sometimes  it  appears  like 
a  torch ;  then  again  it  resembles  a  great  conflagration, 
now  retreating,  now  advancing,  then  rising  and  fall- 
ing. When  one  imagines  that  he  has  reached  the 
very  point  where  the  light  was  stationed  it  disap- 
pears in  an  instant,  then  shows  itself  anew  when  he 
has  moved  on.  The  fishermen  affirm  that  these  fires 
mark  the  place  where  Roussi  perished.  Thou,  trav- 
eler or  fisherman,  when  thou  shalt  see  a  luminous 
point   oscillating   at   the   farther   end   of   Baie   des 


A  SILHOUETTE  137 

Chaleurs,  kneel  and  say  a  De  Profundis  for  the  dead, 
for  thou  hast  seen  the  fire  of  the  Roussi! 

A  French  writer  of  about  a  century  ago  says:  — 
"  Les  pecheurs  affirment  que  c-es  f  eux  marquent 
I'endroit  ou  perit  dans  un  gros  temps  une  berge  con- 
duite  par  quelques  hardis  marins,  du  nom  de  Roussi; 
cette  lumiere,  selon  I'interpretation  populaire,  aver- 
tirait  les  passants  de  prier  pour  les  pauvres  noyes." 

The  quiet,  thoughtful  Armand  has  confided  in  me, 
I  having  noticed  his  skill  with  tools,  and  I  have  thus 
learned  why  a  lamp  bums  until  the  dawn,  almost,  in 
a  window  which  I  can  see  just  across  from  mine. 
One  of  the  great  fish-packing  houses  has  offered  a 
prize  for  the  best  model  of  a  "  bateau-de-pecheur," 
and  he  is  to  enter  the  competition.  So  he  works  in 
secret  and  at  night,  when  the  good  Pere  Boucharde 
believes  that  all  are  sleeping  beneath  his  roof.  I 
have  seen  Armand's  model;  and,  so  far  as  I  am  a 
judge,  I  should  say  it  is  good.  Meanwhile  Artemise 
spins  and  weaves  wonderful  fabrics,  which  no  doubt 
some  day  are  to  form  her  housekeeping  outfit,  when 
she  decides  between  the  two  gallants.  Imagine,  if 
you  will,  the  demure  little  maiden,  as  her  deft  fin- 
gers twist  the  thread,  and  the  wheel  whirs  its  accom- 
paniment, relating  at  my  request  a  legend  which  she 
learned  from  her  grandparents;  a  weird  and  sorrow- 
ful tale  to  which  her  pleasant  voice  and  quaint  French 
add  the  greatest  charm. 


138      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

LEGEND  OF  CAP  DESESPOIE. 

Sometimes  to  the  lone  fisherman  quietly  engaged 
in  his  peaceful  avocation,  near  this  point,  there  ap- 
pears a  marvelous  scene,  and  a  strange  vision  reveals 
itself  to  his  wondering  eyes.  Though  it  is  so  calm 
that  the  waters  appear  like  a  mirror,  all  at  once  the 
sea  becomes  agitated,  and  the  waves,  growing  larger 
and  larger,  roar  and  break  against  each  other.  Sud- 
denly a  light  vessel  carrying  all  sail  appears  upon  the 
tumultuous  waters,  and  seems  to  wrestle  with  the 
boiling  surges ;  then  swiftly  as  the  swallow  flies  it 
darts  along,  apparently  scarce  touching  the  surface. 
On  the  poop,  in  the  forecastle,  in  the  rigging,  every- 
where appear  human  figures  clothed  in  the  military 
costume  of  ancient  times.  A  man  who  wears  the  in- 
signia of  a  superior  officer  stands  in  the  attitude  of 
command,  with  one  foot  upon  the  bowsprit  as  if 
ready  to  leap  ashore.  With  his  right  hand  he  directs 
the  attention  of  the  pilot  to  the  sombre  cape  rising  be- 
fore them;  with  his  left  arm  he  supports  a  beautiful 
lady  enveloped  in  a  long  white  veil  and  draperies. 
The  sky  is  black;  the  wind  whistles  in  the  cordage; 
the  ship,  flying  like  a  dart,  is  dashed  upon  the  rocks ; 
and  amidst  the  roar  of  the  sea,  the  crash  of  thunder, 
the  distressing  groans  of  the  dying,  is  heard  the 
agonized  shriek  of  a  woman !  —  then  the  vision  van- 
ishes. The  silence  of  death  falls  on  the  water;  ship, 
pilot,  the  whole  dreadful  equipage,  the  commanding 
figure  of  the  officer,  the  graceful  woman  in  the  white 


A  SILHOUETTE  139 

garments,  all  have  disappeared,  and  the  quiet  wavelets 
caress  the  feet  of  Cap  Desespoir. 

Many  names  about  the  coasts  of  Bay  and  Gulf 
have  become  corrupted  and  changed;  in  this  case  the 
addition  of  one  syllable  changed  hope  to  despair,  the 
point  in  old  charts  being  called  Espoir. 

Matters  have  been  culminating  since  I  wrote  last, 
and  we  have  been  making  history,  of  which,  behold, 
hereunto  appended,  the  report.  Armand  has  been 
away  to  Gaspe  on  business  for  the  firm  for  whom  he 
works,  and  who  seem  to  have  considerable  confidence 
in  him,  yet  the  first  night  of  his  absence  the  light 
burned  as  usual  in  the  room  of  the  loft.  From  my 
window  I  could  see  that  of  the  room,  but  the  white 
strips  which  served  as  curtains  of  the  casement  win- 
dow were  dropped.  An  indefinable  suspicion  led  me 
to  play  the  spy  —  I  confess  it ;  moreover,  when  a 
sharpely-defined  profile  appeared  on  the  smooth  sur- 
face of  the  white  window  shade,  what  did  Yours 
Truly  do.?  (Remember  my  boyish  taste  at  school 
for  sketching  hasty  likenesses!)  I  whipped  out  a 
piece  of  charcoal  and  tooh  off  that  head ;  yes,  and  to 
my  amazement,  recognized  it,  too,  without  shadow  of 
doubt.  Evidently  some  mystery  there,  but  I  kept 
dark. 

For  many  nights  in  succession  I  watched  the  mys- 
terious workman ;  and  if  I  could  have  had  any  doubt 
of  his  identity  or  evil  intent,  I  was  thoroughly  con- 
vinced when,  one  windy  night,  a  sudden  gust  blew 


140       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

open  the  loft  window,  and  I  beheld  the  miscreant 
copying  Armand's  model.  He  started  guiltily,  and 
quickly  closed  the  casement,  after  a  hasty  glance  all 
around  to  convince  himself  that  he  had  not  been  seen. 
I,  of  course,  was  in  the  dark,  and,  moreover,  the  re- 
port had  gone  abroad  that  I  had  gone  to  Gaspe  with 
Armand,  though  I  decided  at  the  last  moment  that  I 
could  not  spare  the  time,  as  my  drawings  and  plans 
must  be  sent  to  New  York  by  a  certain  date. 

At  last  came  the  day  on  which  the  models  were  to 
be  inspected,  and,  decision  given,  the  prizes  to  be 
distributed.  Armand  carried  his  tiny  "  chaloupe " 
himself,  enveloped  in  neat  wrappings,  just  as  he  had 
left  it  at  the  time  of  his  Gaspe  trip,  and  thus  de- 
posited it  in  M.  le  Cure's  house.  Then  the  village 
was  en  fete^  and  the  brawny  fisher  lads  and  quaint 
country  lasses  engaged  in  various  old-time  games  and 
dances,  for  which  latter  the  services  of  your  corre- 
spondent was  in  requisition,  as  orchestra.  When  the 
models  were  placed  on  exhibition  behold  two  so  nearly 
alike  that  only  an  expert  or  professional  shipbuilder, 
it  seemed  to  me,  could  decide  between  them ;  but  — 
to  Jules  was  awarded  the  prize!  Then  Yours  Truly 
stood  forth  boldly,  and  gave  his  testimony,  calling 
upon  M.  le  Cure  (whose  word  is  law  to  these  people) 
to  see  that  justice  was  done,  and  explaining  how  the 
model  of  Armand  had  been  stolen.  I  had  mentioned 
no  names  in  my  accusation  of  the  mysterious  work- 
man of  the  nights,  but  produced  the  profile  which  I 
had  drawn  (and  since  filled  in  with  crayon,  so  it  made 


A  SILHOUETTE  141 

an  unmistakable  silhouette),  and,  suspending  it  in  full 
view  of  the  audience,  it  was  instantly  recognized. 
The  name  of  the  guilty  one  was  spoken  by  almost 
every  one  in  the  room  in  every  possible  gradation  of 
intonation,  to  express  astonishment,  disgust  and  grief 
that  one  of  their  worthy  community  could  be  so  base. 
You  can  easily  guess  how  the  matter  ended,  but 
you  cannot  surmise  how  retribution  followed  the 
young  rascal.  The  very  next  night  his  father's  fine 
bam  was  burned;  the  new  hay  with  which  it  had 
just  been  filled,  and  its  thatched  roof  making  ready 
fuel  for  the  flames,  also  a  glorious  sight  for  all  but 
the  owner  of  the  building.  Then  it  came  out  and 
was  proved  that  Mr.  Fisherman  Jules  had  stored 
therein  contraband  whisky,  which  he  had  cleverly 
smuggled  among  the  casks  in  his  boat,  and  some  of 
his  associates  who  were  in  the  secret,  thinking  to  help 
themselves  on  the  sly,  dropped  a  match  into  the  in- 
flammable stuff. 

P.  S. —  Armand  and  Artemise  are  betrothed;  and 
I  am  going  home,  post  haste,  to  tell  a  certain  fayre 
damosel  that  I  am  to  have  the  contract  for  the  court- 
house of  Z.  (just  received  notice  by  telegram),  and 
then  shall  be  made  tangible  also  a  certain  Chateaiu- 
en-Espagne  which  two  young  folk  whom  you  know 
have  long  been  engaged  in  constructing ;  so  good-bye, 
old  fellow! 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US 


143 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US 

THE  two  friends,  Joseph  Sturgis,  M.D.,  and 
John  Cahill,  artist  —  Sturgeon  and  Jonquil  in 
their  college  days, —  were  discussing  their  sum- 
mer vacation,  which,  without  shadow  of  doubt,  they 
must  pass  together.  Sturgis,  barely  convalescent 
from  a  fever  in  consequence  of  overwork  in  hospital 
during  a  winter  of  epidemic,  seemed  to  find  that  con- 
versation required  great  effort,  and  was  languidly, 
laconic. 

"  How  ?  "  said  Sturgis. 

"  Our  own  vehicle,"  replied  Cahill,  in  imitation  of 
his  friend's  terseness. 

"  Cart,  wagon,  van  ?  "  queried  medico ;  whereupon 
Cahill  loosened  the   check-rein,  quoting :  — 

I  think  we'd  make  such  a  charming  pair, 

For  you're  good  looking,  and   I'm    [a  grimace  and 

doubtful  glance  at  mirror]   fair? 
"We'd  travel  life's  round  in  gallant  style. 
And  you  should  drive  every  other  mile, 
Or,  if  you'd  rather,  all  the  while, 

which  considering  my  dislike  of  driving, —  (natural 
laziness),  and  the  fact  of  your  having  been  in  a 
drive  all  winter,  is  remarkably  self-sacrificing  on  my 
part."  Sturgis  roused  up  enough  for  a  longer  sen- 
tence at  this,  remarking,  "  Better  change  charming 

145 


146      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

to  hansom^''  whereupon  Cahill  leaped  to  his  feet,  ex- 
claiming, "  By  the  ten-thousandth  part  of  Celtic 
blood  in  my  corporosity,  you've  hit  it!  That's  the 
kerridge  I  had  in  me  moind.  I  thought  of  it  the 
other  day  when  I  left  my  storm  coat  in  one.  When  I 
went  back  the  next  day  to  inquire  for  it,  I  was  told 
I  must  see  the  man  in  charge  of  the  cabs,  whom  I 
found  '  a  tall  man  in  a  light  coat,'  deep  in  conversa- 
tion with  one  of  his  men.  He  did  not  notice  my 
august  approach,  until  I  addressed  him :  — '  Are  yoq 
the  hansom  agent.?  '  Thereupon  he  turned,  reveals 
ing  a  remarkably  ugly  phiz,  and  the  absurdity  of  my 
question  struck  us  both  at  the  same  moment.  He 
broke  into  a  hearty  laugh,  however,  and  answered, 
'  That's  what  they  call  me  here;  I  leave  you  to  judge 
who's  in  the  right  of  it.'  I  said  to  myself  that  I 
could  not  fail  to  like  such  a  man,  who,  when  '  Nature 
in  a  glass,  the  merry  elf,  sits  gravely  making  faces  at 
herself,'  could  make  a  jest  of  it;  whereas  many 
another  would  have  considered  himself  aggrieved,  and 
grow  unbearably  touchy  about  it." 

Just  here,  as  a  chink  offered  in  Cahill's  rapid  flow 
of  language,  his  invalid  friend  put  in :  — • 

"  You  mean  the  Owl.  I  know  him ;  Tim  O'Hara, 
who  was  nightwatchman  at  the  hospital.  He  was 
devoted  to  me.  Stipulate  that  he  shall  be  our  char- 
ioteer." Then  as  the  invalid  dropped  back  exhausted 
after  so  long  a  speech,  Cahill  launched  out  into  an 
elaborate  and  detailed  plan  of  the  travel ;  and  it  was 
agreed  between  the  two  that  they   should  purchase 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  147 

vehicle  and  animal,  to  be  sold  again  (if  not  used  up !) 
at  the  end  of  the  tour.  The  picturesque  and  roman- 
tic taste  of  the  artist,  combined  with  the  natural  gal- 
lantry of  his  race,  caused  him  next  to  suggest  that, 
like  knights  of  old,  when  starting  out  on  their  ad- 
ventures, they  should  wear  their  lady's  colors. 
Whereupon  he,  being  bespoken  (and  parading  that 
fact)  would  wear  his  Jennie's  true  blue ;  and  Sturgis, 
—  who  could  tell  but  that  he  would  find  in  his  travels 
"  that  incomparable  she  who  somewhere  surely  waits 
for  thee.''  "  Being,  so  far  as  appeared,  as  yet  un- 
blest  in  that  respect,  Sturgis  should  disport  on 'his 
coat  lapel  a  tiny  knot  of  white  ribbon,  which  his 
lively  friend  proceeded  then  and  there  to  affix;  the 
physician  submitting,  though  turning  away  with  a 
sigh  while  a  strangely  bitter  expression  passed  over 
his  pale  countenance. 

Tim,  on  being  taken  into  the  confidence  of  the  two 
friends,  acceded  with  inward  delight,  though  out- 
ward calm,  remarking :  — "  So  the  ordeal  has  gone 
into  effect,  and  I  thought  I  was  out  of  a  j  ob,  but  time 
determinates  all.  You  remarks  that  I'm  attached  to 
this  here  Pa.  R.  R.  stashun  and  my  business,  but  I 
ain't,  nor  to  anything  or  anybody.  I  just  happen  to 
be  here,  but  I'll  git.  I'm  a  lone  un',  an'  no  one  be- 
longin'  to  me,  nor  me  beholden  to  no  one;  I've  been 
meanin'  to  tell  'em  I  meant  to  leave.  So  ye  touches 
me  in  a  tender  spot  and  I  'gree  to  it." 

Thus  it  came  about  that  the  three  men  set  out  on 
their  travels;  the  two  friends  delighted  with  the  un- 


148       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

obstructed  view  which  the  absence  of  driver's  seat  af- 
forded; the  Jehu  perched  in  superb  importance  high 
up  in  the  rear,  whence  through  the  tiny  trap  in  the 
roof  he  occasionally  dropped  wise  remarks, — "  plum- 
mets of  Proverbial  Philosophy,"  as  Cahill  said. 

Sleepy  hamlets  and  scattered  settlements  in  out-of- 
the-way  regions  were  aroused  to  prodigious  excite- 
ment by  the  appearance  of  such  singular  equipage, 
and  people  turned  out  en  masse  to  behold  and  ques- 
tion, while  the  dogs  barked  themselves  hoarse. 

The  fine  steamer  touching  at  "  Isle  St.  Jean " 
(P.  E.  I.)  took  on  board  the  trio  and  their  equipage, 
to  convey  them  literally  to  the  land's  end;  i.  e.,  the 
region  known  to  the  Montagnais  Indians  as  Guihaks- 
peque,  or  "  the  end  of  the  world ;  "  a  name  which  in 
time  has  become  changed  and  abbreviated  to  Gaspe. 

The  bold,  majestic  cliffs  of  Cape  Gaspe  rise  seven 
hundred  feet  at  the  extremity  of  a  long  point  guard- 
ing the  entrance  of  the  Bay,  which  is  twenty  miles 
long.^  Sturgis  and  his  friend  spent  some  time  in 
studying  up  the  history  of  the  remote  place,  for, 
strange  to  say,  Gaspe  once  played  an  important  part 
in  the  early  days  of  the  French  settlement;  and  even 
Tim  developed  a  taste  for  statistics  and  queer  bits 
of  yams  picked  up  from  the  sailors  and  fishermen 


1  Gaspe  is  the  nearest  Canadian  port  to  Great  Britain  which 
is  open  throughout  the  year;  and  this  year  (1907)  an  elaborate 
plan  has  developed  by  which  a  Transatlantic  line  is  to  be 
established  from  this  point.  Then  by  continuing  the  Rail- 
way which  now  extends  for  85  miles  along  Bay  Chaleur,  and 
connecting  with  other  lines,  a  new  Transcontinental  route  is  to 
be  formed. 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US 


149 


among  whom  he  prowled.  It  was  the  EngHsh-speak- 
ing  tars  whose  society  he  affected,  being  unable  to 
converse  with  "  Frenchys  "  then.  Thus  they  learned 
that  in  1851  or  1852  there  stood  in  the  sea  near  this 
point  a  columnar  rock  known  as  the  Old  Woman.  A 
clump  of  trees  on  its  crest  caused  it  to  resemble  the 


^.'.V ./v  ::t. 


The  Old  Woman  of  York  Cliff,  Me. 

antique  cap  worn  by  Canadian  women  in  former  cen- 
turies, and  thus  suggested  the  name  of  "  La  Veille." 
As  long  as  this  rock  stood  it  formed  the  pretext 
among  sailors  for  tricks  similar  to  those  played  on 
unwary  travelers  when  "  crossing  the  line."  Pre- 
tending that  the  Old  Woman  was  a  wicked  creature, 
who  must  be  propitiated  lest  she  do  some  harm  to  ves- 


150       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

sel  or  passengers,  these  mischievous  tars  demanded 
pour  hoire;  the  passenger  who  proved  incredulous 
or  close-fisted  receiving  a  ducking  from  a  pail  of 
water. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  KATSEPION. 

The  Indian  legend  is,  that  a  Jotun  or  giant  here 
held  a  contest  with  an  evil  spirit,  and  as  they  fought 
at  night  the  combat  seemed  the  more  frightful.  The 
giant  knew  that  if  he  could  reserve  his  strength  and 
continue  the  battle  until  dawn  he  would  then  be  se- 
cure, for  these  goblins  cannot  bear  a  ray  of  light. 
Therefore,  pretending  weakness,  he  thus  lured  on  his 
opponent,  who  wasted  his  force.  When  the  first  ray 
of  light  appeared  the  giant  was  encouraged  to  feel 
that  he  might  hold  out,  and  as  the  gleam  brightened 
and  broadened  he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  and 
by  a  tremendous  effort  threw  his  antagonist  forward 
in  such  manner  that  the  sun  fell  full  upon  him,  and 
he  was  thereby  immediately  turned  to  stone.  The 
strength  of  the  goblin  then  passed  into  the  body  of 
the  vanquisher,  who  became  immensely  more  power- 
ful than  before,  and  so  he  traveled  to  the  Arctic  Sea, 
to  fight  the  fiends  of  frost  and  cold,  who  have  heads 
of  ice  and  hearts  of  stone,  and  are  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  Aurora  Borealis.  This  giant, 
being  assisted  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lightning,  was  so 
much  more  rapid  in  his  movements  that  he  conquered 
the  goblins  of  the  cold,  who,  ever  since,  have  not  been 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  151 

able  to  come  to  this  region  in  such  force  as  they  did 
in  former  ages.  Some  writers  suppose  this  statue 
rock  to  be  the  same  as  La  Veille;  some  say  it  was 
thirty-five  feet  high,  others  one-  hundred  feet ;  some 
place  it  at  the  end  of  Cape  Gaspe,  some  at  Cape 
Rosier,  a  few  miles  beyond.  Undermined  by  the 
waves,  it  sank  into  the  sea  during  a  great  storm,  the 
same  which  caused  the  fall  of  the  arch  of  Le  Rocher 
Perce  and  left  that  pyramidal  mass  standing  aloof. 
Katsepion  is  the  name  which  the  Indians  gave  to  the 
column,  signifying  "  separated  "  or  "  that  which  is 
apart." 

The  Bay  of  Gaspe  presents  a  scene  in  which  quiet, 
restful  beauty  and  grandeur  combine ;  the  upper  part, 
securely  land  locked,  is  known  as  the  Basin.  Along 
the  north  shore  the  mountains  approach  the  water, 
their  lower  slopes  ending  in  steep  cliffs.  These  are 
the  Notre  Dame  range,  and  the  Shickshock  (also 
known  as  Shickshaws  and  Chikchaks),  which  to- 
gether form  the  western  prolongation  of  the  Alle- 
ghenies.  Cahill  remarked  of  the  fish  houses  in  the 
deep  coves,  that  they  looked  to  him  like  inquisitive 
urchins  standing  on  stilts  and  leaning  on  their  folded 
arms,  which  rest  atop  a  fence;  these  peculiar  dwell- 
ings being  one  story  in  height  where  they  face  the 
roadway,  but  three  or  four  in  depth,  in  the  rear, 
where  they  extend  down  into  the  coves,  and  show 
their  foundations  of  piles.  Patches  of  green  and  cul- 
tivated land  are  scattered  on  the  hills  near  the  villages. 


152       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

but  thence  into  the  interior  in  all  directions  except  the 
east  the  primeval  forest  extends  unbroken  and  dense. 
The  Owl,  seeing  water  conduits  formed  of  a  series 
of  hollowed  logs,  propounded  profound  queries,  in 
what  he  supposed  was  medical  phraseology  (which 
he  had  picked  up  at  the  Hospital),  calling  these  the 
"  ^Z^mentary  canal,"  which  certainly  seemed  appli- 
cable to  this  primitive  contrivance. 

While  Sturgis  devoted  himself  to  botanical  studies 
in  the  forests,  Cahill  found  ample  material  for  the 
employment  of  his  brush  in  depicting  the  beautiful 
scenes,  as  well  as  in  representing  the  quaint  charac- 
ters among  sailors,  fishermen  and  Indians,  picking 
up  meantime  bits  of  history  with  which  to  regale  his 
comrade.  Tim  wandered  about  Bay  and  beaches, 
enlarging  his  store  of  knowledge,  but  always  pre- 
sented himself  for  the  daily  drive.  Jonquil  learned 
that  in  1534,  July  24th,  Jaques  Cartier  landed  in 
Gaspe  Bay  and  erected  a  cross  thirty  feet  high. 
"  Erected  for  the  first  time  in  New  France  the  cross 
commanded  on  one  side  the  majestic  basin,  on  the 
other  the  beautiful  port  where,  many  times  since, 
French  and  English  vessels  have  sought  haven  from 
the  fury  of  tempests.  France  could  offer  nothing 
more  majestic  than  the  Notre  Dame  mountains,  more 
noble  than  the  Bay  of  Gaspe."  In  1627  a  fleet  of 
twenty  French  vessels,  under  De  Roquemont,  richly 
laden  with  supplies  for  Champlain's  colony  at 
Quebec,  put  into  Gaspe  Bay  for  haven  during  a 
storm,   but    found    themselves    less    secure,    perhaps. 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  153 

than  they  would  have  been  outside,  for  they  were 
captured  by  the  English,  under  Captain  Kirke,  who 
had  only  three  vessels,  and  who,  after  burning  half 
the  fleet,  carried  ten  ships  to .  England  with  the 
freightage  of  the  whole  twenty ;  and  in  1760  the 
village  was  taken  by  Com.  Byron,  who  burned  a 
French  frigate  which  was  in  the  harbor. 

A  sojourn  at  the  fishing  port  of  Perce  being  next 
on  the  plan  of  travel,  it  was  by  "  the  loveliest  road 
in  Canada,"  leading  from  Douglastown,  and  com- 
manding wonderful  views  of  Swiss  suggestion,  that 
the  peculiar  equipage  made  its  appearance  in  that 
quiet  hamlet.  "  Voici  le  cirque !  "  shouted  one  small 
tar  to  his  companions  who  stood  in  open-mouthed 
wonder,  saying :  "  Pourquoi  ne  bouleverser  pas  cet 
chariot  drole?  "  looking  back  up  the  road  by  which 
it  came,  evidently  expecting  other  marvelous  things 
and  strange  beasts  to  follow.  The  knight  of  the 
quill  called  the  attention  of  the  knight  of  the  pill 
to  American  patent  medicines  masquerading  in  high- 
sounding  phraseology  and  foreign  tongue,  on  posts 
and  fences :  "  Sirop  adoucissant  de  Mme.  Winslow," 
"  Calmant  sirop  de  Mme.  Winslow  pour  la  dentition 
des  enfants,"  "  Pastilles  bronchiales  de  Brun,"  etc. 

Le  Rocher  Perce !  Nature  seems  to  have  used  it 
as  her  palette  for  experimental  and  daring  combina- 
tions of  color,  the  strange  wall-like  barrier  being 
eccentrically  striped  and  dashed  with  the  tints  of 
ores  and  clays.  Brilliant  shades  of  yellow,  copper, 
blue  and  pinkish  grays,  reds  and  browns,  blending 


164       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

marvelouslj  on  its  surface,  and  contrasting  with  the 
hues  of  sea  and  shore,  form  a  memorable  picture. 
The  rock  is  660  feet  in  length  and  nearly  300  feet 
in  height,  its  proportions  apparently  greater  as  it 
is  seen  against  sea  and  sky.  General  Bouchette, 
surveyor  general,  said,  in  1815,  there  were  three 
openings  in  the  rock,  the  largest  admitting  a  small 
vessel  under  sail;  there  is  but  one  now,  and  beyond 
the  island  an  irregular,  somewhat  pyramidal  mass, 
standing  separate,  was  once  connected  with  the 
greater  rock,  forming  another  arch.  During  an 
earthquake  or  tremendous  storm  in  June,  1846,  the 
top  of  this  arch  fell  into  the  sea,  leaving  a  bit  of 
jagged  cliff  standing  aloof  as  it  is  now  to  be  seen. 
This  is  known  as  the  split.  That  ancient,  volu- 
minous and  amusing  chronicler,  Champlain,  says: 
"  It  is  a  fort  of  rock  which  is  very  high  and  steep, 
with  a  hole  through  which  shallops  and  boats  can 
pass  at  high  tide.  At  low  tide  you  can  go  from  the 
mainland  to  this  island,  which  is  only  some  four  or 
five  hundred  feet  distant."  Ferland  says :  "  II 
existait  bien  un  vague  tradition  qu'a  certaines 
epoques,  un  jeune  homme  aux  formes  herculeennes,  a 
I'allure  surhumaine  avait  paru  sur  le  cap;  mais  ces 
reveries  superstitieuses  ne  servaient  qu'a  donner  un 
nouveau  relief  a  sa  hardiesse  des  simples  mortels  qui 
avient  ose  braver  le  Genie  du  cap  Perce,  jusques  dans 
son    aire    inaccessible.     The    summit    of    the    rock^ 


1  Sailors   formerly  climbed  the  rock  to  obtain  eggs  of  the 
birds;  this  is  now  forbidden. 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  155 

is  now  the  undisputed  realm  of  myriads  of  sea  fowl; 
gulls,  gannets,  cormorants,  tern,  which  "  rise  in 
clouds  and  fill  the  air  with  their  sharp  cries,"  as  Fer- 
land  says.  The  Owl,  being  naturally  interested  in 
birds,  dropped  from  his  high  perch  the  remark  that 
his  mother  used  to  repeat  to  him  something  about 
"  birds  in  their  little  nests  agree,"  but  that  these  are 
constantly  falling  out,  and  the  friends  saw  that  the 
circling,  wheeling,  white  cloud  might  readily  give  rise 
to  ghostly  legend.  The  prevailing  industry  of  the 
place  is  evident  in  the  odors  pervading  some  parts  of 
the  settlement,  and  Cahill,  quoting  "  flesh,  flesh,  how 
thou  art  fishified ! "  expressed  willingness  to  pass  on. 
Among  the  Indians  there  is  a  tradition  that  the 
cliflPs  of  Mt.  Joli,  Perce  Rock  and  Bonaventure  Is- 
land (two  miles  from  the  mainland)  once  formed  a 
long  point,  and  this  is  confirmed  by  the  character  of 
the  conglomerate  rock.  Ferland,  in  1836,  said 
"  everything  would  seem  to  indicate  that  in  bygone 
ages  the  rock  and  Mt.  Joli  were  united  by  similar 
arches,"  and  Denys,  almost  250  years  ago  expressed 
the  same  idea.  Legend  also  states  that  He  Perce 
was  part  of  a  gigantic  causeway  which  the  Jotuns 
were  building  to  Miscou  Island,  to  conquer  the 
frightful  monster  which  inhabited  that  spot.  Cham- 
plain,  prince  of  yarn-spinners,  describes  that  horrible 
gorgon  as  being  tall  as  a  ship  mast,  carrying  a 
pouch  in  which  human  beings  were  deposited  to  be 
devoured  at  leisure ;  and  filling  the  air  with  astound- 
ing   noises;    whistlings,    growls,    hissings     ("  siffle- 


166       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ments").     The  Indians  called  this  creature  Gougou. 

The  legends  of  this  part  of  Gaspe  are  suggestive 
of  Norse  mythology.  In  Norway,  Jotunheim,  "  the 
home  of  the  giants,"  is  a  region  of  wild  grandeur 
and  legend.  The  grand  Mt.  St.  Anne,  also  known 
as  Mt.  Joli  and  Table  Roulante, —  owing  to  a  tract 
of  table-land  at  the  summit, —  rises  1,230  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  broods  over  the  peaceful  village.  When 
the  jolly  artist  was  informed  by  fishermen  that  it  is 
visible  seventy  miles  at  sea.  Jonquil  (who  happened 
to  have  a  taste  for  mathematics,  unusual  in  one  of 
his  craft)  insisted  that  that  would  not  be  possible; 
that  it  could  only  be  seen  from  a  mast  head  at 
the  distance  of  forty-five  miles,  provided  the  tip  of 
the  mast  were  one  hundred  feet  above  the  water. 
"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  my  Figure  Head,  or  head  for 
figures,  helps  me  to  keep  the  wolf, —  otherwise  frame 
maker, — •  from  my  door ;  and  he  is  classed  by  some 
of  my  confreres  in  the  same  category  as  the  horse 
jocky." 

Piscatorial  and  nautical  studies  and  amusements 
naturally  being  in  order  in  such  a  place,  the  friends 
passed  much  time  on  the  water,  the  Owl  displaying 
talent  as  an  oarsman, —  exercise  in  which  the  young 
physician  was  not  yet  permitted  to  indulge, —  and 
the  artist  preferring  to  lie  back  at  his  ease  and  study 
color  effects.  It  had  been  arranged  that  they  should 
be  off  before  daybreak  on  a  fishing  excursion,  and 
Sturgis  was  awakened  by  hearing  Cahill  calling  Tim 
his  "  Precious  Yeast  Cake,"  and  assuring  him  that 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  167 

such  well-bred  persons  as  they  couid  rise  without  his 
assistance.  Cahill,  seeming  not  to  reahze  for  a  few 
minutes  the  reason  for  their  early  summons,  lazily 
addressed  his  friend  from  the  adjoining  room: — "I 
say  Sturgeon,  as  you're  interested  in  fermentives 
probably  you  know  that  the  yeast  cake  is  not  a 
rather  recent  American  novelty  and  culinary  con- 
venience, but  is  an  invention  at  least  2,000  years 
old.  I  happened  to  be  looking  up  something  just 
before  we  left  home,  and  found  that  a  Roman  ency- 
clopedist said  that  '  Millet  is  more  especially  em- 
ployed to  make  yeast.  If  kneaded  with  must  (which 
you  must  know  is  grape  juice)  it  will  keep  a  year.' 
He  also  stated  that  '  the  same  is  done  too  with 
fine  wheat  bran  of  the  best  quality.  It  is  kneaded 
with  white  must,  three  days  old,  and  then  dried  in 
the  sun,  after  which  it  is  made  into  small  cakes.'  " 
Though  the  artist  had  been  hurling  comical  and 
original  invectives  at  Tim,  he  elaborately  and  volu- 
minously forgave  him, —  yes,  even  with  enthusiasm, — 
when  they  were  fairly  out  on  the  shore;  for  thus 
it  came  about  that  they  beheld  L'lle  Perce  presenting 
itself  in  unearthly  aspect,  as  the  sombre  mass  loomed 
in  the  dim,  uncertain  light,  with  the  arch  of  Aurora 
Borealis  ^  reaching  directly  across  to  the  mainland, 
and  the  brilliant  morning  star  reflected  in  a  long, 
wavering    gleam    on   the   black    water.     "  It   is    the 


1  Indians  call  the  Aurora  Borealis  Wah-wah-tao;  their  belief 
is  that  it  is  the  spirits  of  the  departed  dancing  on  the  borders 
of  the  Land  of  Hereafter. 


158       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

bridge  of  the  phantom,"  exclaimed  Cahill,  and  in 
the  solemn  hush  of  the  morning  twilight, —  fit  hour 
for  weird  recital, —  he  related  the  legend  of 


Sometime  during  the  seventeenth  century  a  young 
French  officer,  distinguished  for  bravery  and  no- 
bility of  character,  as  well  as  of  birth,  was  ordered 
to  Canada.  Not  hesitating  at  the  call  of  duty,  his 
heart  misgave  him  at  the  thought  of  separation  from 
the  lady  of  his  love,  a  beautiful  woman  to  whom 
he  was  soon  to  have  been  married.  Years  might 
pass  ere  they  could  see  each  other,  and  as  the  fair 
one  pondered  on  the  possibilities  of  his  life  in  that 
far-away  and  wild  country,  her  anguish  was  aug- 
mented by  the  thought  that  they  might  never  meet 
again.  Though  she  had  been  so  delicately  nurtured 
and  shielded,  she  did  not  hesitate  to  face  danger  and 
hardship  for  his  sake,  but  promised  to  accompany 
some  friends  sailing  later  for  "  La  Nouvelle  France," 
there  to  be  united  to  him,  for  better,  for  worse,  in 
Quebec.  In  those  times  there  were  fierce  marauders 
on  the  seas,  and  before  "  L'Esperance,"  with  the 
fair  bride-elect  among  her  passengers,  had  proceeded 
very  far  upon  her  voyage,  she  was  captured  by  a 
Spanish  pirate.  The  crew  and  passengers  were  put 
to  death  with  the  exception  of  the  French  lady, 
whose  rare  loveliness  fascinated  the  chief  of  the  buc- 
caneers.    Enraged  at  the  obduracy   of  his  captive, 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  169 

the  pirate  locked  her  in  the  cabin;  but  she,  taking 
her  Hfe  in  her  own  hands,  leaped  from  the  window 
into  the  sea.  Infuriated  at  the  escape  of  his  victim, 
the  pirate  continued  on  his  course,  hoping  to  secure 
prizes  among  merchantmen  bound  to  or  from  Quebec. 
The  next  night  after  the  suicide  of  the  unfortunate 
fiancee,  the  ship  was  rounding  Cap  Canon,  and  ap- 
proaching L'lle  Perce,  when,  to  the  horror  of  all, 
a  white  and  floating  figure  appeared  upon  the  Rock. 
The  wicked  sailor  and  his  men  knew  this  in  an  in- 
stant as  the  wraith  of  the  unhappy  French  woman. 
Crew  and  captain  were  panic  stricken ;  a  strange 
numbness  crept  over  them,  their  limbs  grew  heavy 
and  seemed  almost  powerless.  The  phantom  still 
hovered  over  the  rock  waving  its  arms  menacingly. 
The  captain  steered  for  Gaspe  Bay;  the  vessel; 
sailing  in  a  strangely  labored  manner,  seemed  to  be 
settling  in  the  water,  while  the  lethargy  of  all  the 
men  increased  in  unaccountable  manner.  Slowly 
and  more  slowly  the  vessel  moved;  presently  she 
seemed  to  stand  still,  and  in  an  instant  barque  and 
crew  became  petrified,  a  solid  mass  of  rock  which 
still  resembled  a  ship  under  sail.^  As  Ship  Rock  it 
was  known  in  olden  times,   and  after  a  prodigious 

1  In  March,  1902,  from  San  Francisco  came  a  marvelous 
tale,  of  two  petrified  ships,  discovered  by  a  Chandelar  Indian 
huntsman,  on  the  side  of  a  mountain  w^hich  slopes  toward  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  His  story  was  discredited,  but  it  is  said  that 
several  hunters  went  with  him  next  day  to  prove  it,  and  were 
overcome  with  awe  and  almost  with  terror  at  the  sight.  They 
brought  away  clumsy  and  ponderous  utensils,  and  the  assertion 
is  made  that  scientists  and  other  investigators  have  gone  to  the 
mouth  of  Porcupine  River  to  convince  themselves. 


160       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

storm  and  earthquake  it  sank  into  the  sea.  The 
phantom  still  haunts  Le  Rocher  Perce,  keeping  watch 
over  good  sailors,  but  luring  evil  ones  to  destruction 
on  these  capes  and  wild  shores. 

Though  the  two  friends  still  found  plenty  to  in- 
terest them,  their  peculiar  associate  and  Jehu  amused 
them  because  of  his  impatience  at  his  own  inability 
to  converse  with  some  of  the  people;  a  fact  which 
he  attributed  entirely  to  their  dullness,  not  to  want 
of  comprehension.  "  No  matter  how  loud  he  might 
shout  at  them,  they  wouldn't  understand."  He, 
therefore,  declared,  "  That  irrigates  me,  and  when 
yous  two  ain't  round  to  interpretate  for  me  I  might 
zwell  sit  dum  'z  stone.  And  when  yous  does  come 
they  kin  talk  tu  wanst,  all  right,  and  that  disencour- 
ages  me  too.  When  one  o'  them  fellers  attackted  me 
with  his  lingo  I  was  just  nowhar.  I  don't  see  what's 
the  use  of  having  such  a  no  'count,  no  talk  speech 
as  that." 

Ferland  says :  "  Les  Paspebiacs  ne  seraient  cer- 
tainement  pas  des  ornements  dans  un  salon;  pour  la 
science  et  pour  les  lettres  ils  figuraient  assez  triste- 
ment  a  cote  d'un  Arago  ou  d'un  Chateaubriand.  lis 
paraissent  vifs  et  emportes  et  cependant  ils  sont  tou- 
jours  prets  a  rendre  service;  ils  parlent  avec  vehe- 
mence et  a  tue-tete,  de  sorte  qu'on  les  croirait  faches, 
tandis  qu'ils  se  disent  des  douceurs.  Un  Paspebiac 
crie-t-il  a  son  voisin,  *  Taise-toi  ou  je  t'enforce  un 
croc  dans  le  gau,'  il  lui  fait  un  compliment  qu'on 
n'addresse  qu'aux  plus  intimes  amis."     But  that  was 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  161 

many  years  ago ;  the  manners  of  the  "  Jersiais,"  as 
they  are  called,  have  improved  since. 

Fishermen  of  Paspebiac  "  come  out "  from  France 
in  April,  and  return  in  November;  They  are  dubbed 
"  Pasby  Jacks "  by  landsmen.  The  peculiar  and 
picturesque  sand  spit,  with  its  giant's  handful  of 
toy  buildings,  was  formerly  governed  almost  like  a 
military  post;  the  great  gates  of  the  bridge  being 
locked  at  certain  hours,  and  no  one  allowed 
"  ashore ; "  no  married  men  were  employed,  and  there 
were  other  stringent  rules. 

The  fishy  and  tarry  atmosphere  of  this  shore  in- 
fected Cahill,  and  in  his  studies  among  the  toilers  of 
the  sea  he  picked  up  much  piscatorial  lore,  and  some 
bits  of  superstition,  so  natural  among  sea-faring 
people.  Thus  he  learned  that  all  species  of  fish 
have  the  habit  of  suddenly  appearing  or  disap- 
pearing from  any  part  of  the  ocean  without  any 
apparent  reason,  herring  being  most  noted  for  this; 
those  Bedouins,  or  vagabonds  of  the  sea,  as  they 
might  be  called,  appear  in  stupendous  shoals  in  cer- 
tain places,  remaining  sometimes  for  several  days, 
then  in  an  hour  will  vanish  utterly.  Myriads  fall 
a  prey  to  the  voracious  maws  of  monsters  of  the 
deep,  and  possibly  some  form  of  fishy  telegraphy 
gives  warning  of  the  approach  of  their  enemies, 
hence  their  migrations,  though,  said  Jonquil,  "  This 
wouldn't  serve  Mr.  Haddock,  he  being  proverbially 
deaf."  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  if,  through  care- 
lessness   or    overweighting,    a    net    is    broken    and 


162       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

herring  being  killed  thereby  sink  to  the  bottom,  their 
fellows  avoid  that  spot  in  future.  In  1884  a 
stupendous  school  of  mackerel  appeared  in  the  Eng- 
lish Channel,  causing  a  rushing  sound  like  a  heavy 
sea ;  the  people  would  not  buy  them,  even  for  a  trifle, 
or  take  them  to  use  as  manure  and  the  Cornish  fish- 
ermen (who  deserve  remembrance  by  the  S.  P.  C.  A.) 
carried  80,000  far  from  shore  and  restored  them  to 
their  native  element.  The  superstitions  of  fishermen 
are  curious.  When  fishing  it  will  never  do  to  talk 
of  pigs, —  could  there  be  tradition  among  the  finny 
denizens  of  the  deep  about  the  herd  of  swine  which 
were  driven  into  the  sea  ?  "  Probably,"  said  Cahill, 
"  they  are  not  so  fond  of  deviled  ham  as  I  am !  "  A 
good  fishing  ground  is  spoiled  if  a  church  is  built 
near,  for  fish  don't  like  churches.  "  Naturally," 
said  the  jolly  artist,  "  and  here  the  weeks  are  reck- 
oned in  the  order  in  which  fish  is  served.  See  that 
odd  figure  over  there,  how  plainly  he  says: 

We  scale,  we  split,  we  salt,  we  dry; 
We  bake,  we  boil,  we  broil,  we  fry; 
Tho'  many  '  queer  fish '  here  you  see. 
Don't  count  us  in  that  category. 

On  the  coast  of  England  and  Sweden  the  people 
believe  that  fish  object  to  the  sound  of  bells  and 
will  travel  far  to  get  beyond  hearing  of  them. 
Clergymen  are  obnoxious  to  the  denizens  of  the  deep ; 
not  long  ago,  in  Lancashire,  when  the  pastor  of  a 
seaboard  parish  remonstrated  with  the  men  for  non- 
attendance  at  church,  the  fishermen  met  on  the  beach 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  163 

and  burned  the  parish  in  efRgy,  to  propitiate  the 
fish!  It  seems  that  for  women  they  have  particular 
disHke.  In  Skye,  if  a  woman  goes  out  on  the  water 
during  the  fishing  that  catch  is  spoiled ;  there'll  be  no 
luck  at  all,  and  the  fish  will  be  dished  prematurely. 
In  Germany  a  woman  must  not  even  touch  the  nets, 
unless  she  first  repeats  the  Lord's  Prayer;  in  Lap- 
land, also,  this  belief  is  common.  Why  women 
should  exert  such  sinister  influence  no  one  can  sur- 
mise.^ 

Much  of  this  important  information  was  imparted 
by  Jonquil  on  their  daily  drives  or  water-trips.  The 
Indians  interested  him  and  he  declared  that,  being 
of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  he  felt  a  special  affinity  for 
the  Micmacs. 

Famous  among  sportsmen  are  the  Gaspe  canoes, 
which  are  made  by  an  almost  extinct  tribe,  the  Mon- 
tagnais  (descendants  of  the  Souriquois,)  at  the 
reservation  of  St.  Marjorique.  These  boats,  shaped 
like  the  bark  canoe,  have  frames  of  ash  or  oak, 
covered  with  thin  cedar. 

For  a  last  evening  on  the  water  the  trio  embarked, 
though  Tim  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  there 
was  "  a  circumstance  around  the  moon,"  evidently 
considering  that  such  remarkable  phenomenon  boded 
no  good.     His  strong  arms,  however,  propelled  their 


1  No  savant  has  been  able  to  account  for  or  explain  the 
movements  of  the  mackerel;  they  are  literally  "here  to-day, 
gone  to-morrow,"  and  after  appearing  with  the  regularity  of 
clock-work,  on  certain  coasts,  vanish  as  absolutely  as  if  they 
had  BCvfeT  b^eten  seen  thisre. 


164       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

bewitching  craft  over  the  placid  water,  and  soon  car- 
ried them  far  beyond  the  towering  Rocher  Perce, 
Then  far  over  the  water  floated  sweet,  flute-Hke 
strains  from  a  voice  warbHng  a  plaintive  old  song 
of  the  French  habitans ;  the  enunciation  being  so 
clear,  the  tones  so  artistically  projected,  that  even 
the  words  could  be  distinguished  by  the  listening 
trio;  the  oarsman  at  silent  signal  from  Cahill  having 
halted  the  fairy  craft.  The  grave  and  quiet  physi- 
cian, who  had  been  reclining  and  apparently  deeply 
absorbed  in  thought,  suddenly  sat  erect  as  if  elec- 
trified, listening  with  utmost  intensity.  His  lips  at 
first  tightly  compressed,  parted;  unconsciously 
he  breathed  a  name,  and  whispered,  "  That  voice !  — 
here.f*  Should  I  not  know  it  even  in  another  world? 
Yet,  it  cannot  be ! "  It  was  only  the  matter-of- 
fact  and  unromantic  Tim  who  heard  and  pondered, 
when  his  vis-a-vis^  with  a  sigh,  threw  himself  back 
and  dropped  his  head  on  his  hands,  as  the  mysterious 
voice  died  away  in  the  distance.  To  the  bird  of 
night,  however,  had  come  a  sudden  flash  of  illumin- 
ation ;  that  name,  whispered  scarce  audibly, —  where 
had  he  heard  it?  Yes;  in  the  pathetic  entreaties, 
imploring  utterances  of  a  delirious  man  in  the  pre- 
ceding winter;  and  the  recollection  impelled  the 
boatman  to  more  vigorous  effort,  as  he  skilfully 
guided  his  craft  in  the  direction  whence  the  voice 
had  come.  Even  Cahill  had  been  lost  in  artistic 
dreaming,  but  now  seemed  to  come  to  himself  and 
realize    that    something    had    strangely    stirred    his 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  165 

friend,  though  he  wisely  said  nothing.  And  then 
the  mist,  which  had  been  unnoticed  as  it  gradually 
gathered  around  them,  became  more  dense,  as  the 
fog  in  fleecy  folds  rolled  in  from  the  sea,  obscuring 
the  moon  and  almost  obliterating  the  great  rock, 
until  they  were  directly  under  its  wall.  If  the  other 
boat  had  passed  under  the  arch,  so  likewise  did  this, 
but  the  maid  of  the  mist  had  vanished  as  if  she  were 
the  veritable  phantom  of  that  singular  freak  of 
nature;  and  the  trio  stepped  ashore  in  silence,  the 
Owl  remarking,  a  propos  of  nothing,  apparently: 
"  Shadders  we  are,  shadders  we  pursoos."  Whether 
or  not  Sturgis  fancied  himself  misled  by  a  freak 
of  the  imagination,  he  made  no  effort  to  discover  the 
owner  of  the  voice,  and  put  no  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  their  return  to  Gaspe. 

Singularly  reticent  was  Tim,  chary  of  wise  re- 
marks and  interesting  observations  during  the  re- 
turn drive;  and  after  they  were  again  settled  at  the 
pleasant  port,  he  seemed  generally  absorbed  in  pro- 
found thought,  and  absented  himself,  except  at  such 
times  as  his  duties  required  his  attendance  on  his 
employers.  Then  came  a  sudden  and  fierce  storm, 
during  which  the  air  was  filled  with  the  roar  of 
angry  surges  tumbling  on  the  outer  shores,  while 
even  the  olive-leaden  waters  of  Basin  and  Bay  were 
greatly  troubled.  The  trio  were  compelled  to  solace 
themselves  within  doors  until  the  storm  had  spent 
its  greatest  fury,  when  they  would  brave  the  elements 
sufficiently   to   visit   Cap   Rosier,   whose   awful  pro- 


166       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

montory,  rising  900  feet  above  the  sea,  was  en- 
circled,—  as  far  as  eye  could  reach  into  the  mist, — 
with  foam  from  the  lashing  surges  tumbhng  at  its 
base.  It  was  at  this  point  that  the  French  outposts 
first  saw  Wolfe's  fleet  on  its  way  to  Quebec;  here 
an  emigrant  ship  was  wrecked,  and  the  superstitious 
fishermen  declare  that  on  stormy  nights  the  ghosts 
of  those  who  then  perished  reinhabit  the  poor 
drowned  bodies,  and  enact  again  all  the  distressing 
scenes  of  the  shipwreck,  rending  the  air  with  their 
shrieks. 

One  day  Tim  informed  his  employers  that  one  of 
his  old  acquaintances  among  the  shore  folk  had  met 
with  his  death  in  the  storm, —  the  grandeur  of  which 
had  so  impressed  them, — ^the  boat  with  the  poor 
fisherman's  body  having  been  cast  ashore  on  the 
Cape.  It  transpired  that  Tim  had  been  working  in 
a  quiet  way  as  self-constituted  temperance  advocate 
among  the  salts,  and  had  remonstrated  with  this  one, 
endeavoring  to  show  the  poor  fellow  the  wrong  he 
was  doing  to  his  family  as  well  as  himself.  "  I  tell 
you,"  said  he,  "  there  ain't  no  porticos  tied  up  with 
gold  chains  hangin'  at  their  parlor  door,  and  no 
bic-bracks  or  what-dj 'er-callums  stuck  up  around 
them  rooms ;  they're  orful  poor.  Only  fer  his  wife's 
bein'  such  a  heartsome  woman  I'd  never  took  no 
interest  in  him,  he  was  such  a  mizzible  case.  An' 
how  he'd  talk !  oh,  scissors  1  —  in  our  argymints  he'd 
talk  fifteen  to  the  dozen,  and  nothing  in  what  he 
said;  and  he  was  getting  that  nervous  from  drink 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  167 

seem'd  like  zif  he'd  squirm  into  a  teapot  and  out 
at  the  nose,  as  they  used  to  say  where  I  was  brung 
up.  Said  he  had  somethin'  hke  dropasy,  and  had  to 
take  somethin'  fur  it ;  I  said,  '  Yes,  a  drop  I  see  too 
much,  very  often.'  The  other  fellers  used  to  help 
him  some,  coz  of  his  family ;  but  as  for  him,  he  was 
coarse-grained.  /  said  he  '  hadn't  no  grain  at  all, 
fur'z  I  could  see, —  was  all  chaff.*  Well,  so  long  as 
the  Doctor  here  has  engaged  me  regular  as  his  coach- 
man when  he  goes  back,  I've  told  the  widder  I'll 
'dopt  one  o'  her  boys,  and  she  'greed  to  it,  an'  saj^s 
it'll  be  a  great  constellation  to  her."  ("  Ursa 
Minor!"  ejaculated  Cahill  in  parenthesis.) 
"  There's  a  hard  lookout  ahead  for  'em  here,"  con- 
tinued Tim,  "  and  after  my  boy  gets  his  edgycashun 
—  f er  I'll  give  him  what  /  didn't  get  —  I'll  send 
him  to  the  Identical  College,  and  set  him  up  with  a 
'  perfeshun.'  " 

This  long  preamble  led  to  the  information  that 
the  summer  guests  of  the  village  had  arranged  to 
give  a  concert  for  the  benefit  of  the  destitute  family, 
and  of  course  Doctor  and  Artist  must  help  swell 
the  audience  and  the  receipts.  A  fine  new  bam  was 
to  serve  as  music  hall,  and  was  decorated  with  young 
firs  and  trailing  vines  in  effective  manner;  and  it  was 
proved  that  quite  a  creditable  programme  could  be 
produced  even  at  such  short  notice,  and  in  such  an 
unfashionable  resort.  The  interest  of  the  occasion 
culminated  in  the  appearance  of  the  star  of  the  even- 
ing,   a    tall,    fair,    graceful    woman,    whose    finely 


168       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

trained  voice  enthralled  the  audience.  As  an  encore 
and  in  compliment  to  the  French  people,  she 
sang  one  of  their  old  songs,  in  which  a  favorite 
theme  ("beautiful  eyes")   naturally  figures. 

Seated  at  a  little  distance  from  the  two  friends 
Tim  riveted  his  gaze  on  Sturgis  at  the  appearance 
of  the  fair  unknown;  and  he  nodded  sagely  as  of 
one  who  would  say,  "  I  know  it ;  I  told  you  so,"  for 
behold  the  young  physician's  face  had  become  pallid 
and  set  as  if  carved  in  marble,  though  he  listened 
breathlessly  to  the  voice  which  it  required  no  bird  of 
wisdom  to  tell  him  that  they  had  heard  so  recently  at 
Perce.  When  the  audience,  well  pleased  with  such  a 
rare  treat,  were  dispersing,  Sturgis,  as  if  impelled 
by  irresistible  force,  made  his  way  to  the  lady ;  and 
Tim  at  the  same  moment  appearing  beside  Cahill 
hurried  him  out  of  the  building,  the  artist  perceiving 
that  there  was  a  mystery,  and  ready  to  be  en- 
lightened. The  astute  Tim  made  a  significant 
gesture  towards  two  tall  figures  which  the  moonlight 
revealed  moving  away  in  opposite  direction,  so  en- 
tirely absorbed  in  each  other  as  to  have  forgotten 
all  else  apparently,  and  Tim  exclaimed,  excitedly, 
"  I  thought  you  was  knowing  to  it ;  but  it  don't 
make  no  odds,  it's  all  right  now,  I'm  sure.  This 
wan't  no  happenstance,  and  my  Doctor'll  be  happy 
now,  an'  he  deserves  to  be ;  "  then,  with  a  chuckle, 
"  I  had  a  hand  in  it,  and  the  largest  hand  too !  " —  as 
he  spread  and  waved  that  sizable  member  before  the 
eyes  of  the  amused  but  satisfied  artist. 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US 


169 


lES  BEAUX  YEUX,  * 

("Beautiful  Eyes.'*) 


^ 


^ 


JK—fr 


^^ 


Jtntz^l: 


-#— «-i/ 


Les  veux  noire  brillant,  etin-  eel  -  Je,  Les  yeux  bleus  sont 
Ah,  black  eyes  are  brilliant  and  shining,  But  blue  eyes  are 

N    N    N 


^^ 


t— t- 


iffZ-JtZJt 


V-v- 


m 


^ 


tendre  et  doux;  Dans  leurs  dispute    6  -  temelle  Preten- 
tender  and  dear;  For  the  dark  eyegmu  e'  er  woald  be  pining,  Yet  the 


srr-\ — I — ly — \i — 1% — P> — ^ — P> — r 


W 


tr-^-r 


dent  r^gner   seuls  sur    nous.  Chacun  voudrait  la  pre  -  fer- 
blue  he  would  always  wish  near.  Their  dispute  is  unending,  e- 


i 


fcr=jE 


N-  .N"  N 


e 


s 


-H-lt—f. 


^ 


^— 7-V 


■^-^ 


«=it 


en  -  ce  Uun  parle  pour,  et  1*  autre  contre;  Enfin  ce  pro- 
temal;  In  turn  each  vodH  bold  one  in  thrall,  Love  alone  in  this 


*r=*: 


^ 


-^^K^ 


I^IZJtL 


c^  et    importance     Se  -  ra    jug€  que  pari*  amour, 
contest  su-per-  nal  Can  decide  which  shall  reign  over  alL 


LES  BEAUX  YEUX.i 

Les  yeux  noirs  brillant,  6tincelles, 
Les  yeux  bleus  sont  tendres  et  doux; 

Dans  leurs  disputes  eternelles 

Pretendent  r6gner  seuls   sur   nous. 


1  This,  and  "  Les  Yeux  Bleus "  are  not  among  the  oldest 
songs  of  the  habitans  and  French-Canadians;  they  might  have 
been  issued  about  sixty  years  ago,  and  probably  could  not  be 
found  now  in  print.  (I  have  not  tried  to  make  literal  transla- 
tions of  any  of  the  songs.) 


170       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Chacun  voudrait  la  preference 

L'un  parle  pour,  et  I'autre  contre; 

Enfin  ce  prods  et  importance 
Sera  jug6  que  par  I'amour. 

Jamais  proems  et  I'audience 

N'avait  caus6  tant  et  embarras 
Les  noirs,  les  bleus,  pour  leur  defences 

Avaient  de  nombreux  avocats, 
Pour  temoins  les  baisers  de  flamme. 

Pour  defenseurs  mille  soupirs, 
Pour  preuve  les  troubles  de  I'ame, 

Et  pour  apporter  leurs  desirs. 

Les  noirs  sont  sujets  au  caprice. 

On  ne  peut  les  voir  sans  danger; 
Les  bleus  n'ont  point  tant  d'artifice, 

lis  sont  moins  exposes  a  changer. 
Dans  les  noirs  j'ai  mis  mon  d^lire, 

Dans  les  bleus  ma  tendre  langeur; 
L'^sprit  dans  les  yeux  noirs  respire. 

Puis  dans  les  bleus  c'est  la  douceur. 

L'amour  terminent  leur  querelle 

Par  un  trait  judicieux, 
Avec  les  yeux  noirs  on  est  belle. 

On  est  belle  avec  les  yeux  bleus. 
Les  bleus  marquent  plus  de  tendress^ 

Les  noirs  plus  de  vivacity ; 
Les  noirs  annoncent  la  finesse, 

Les  bleus  annoncent  la  bont6. 


BEAUTIFUL  EYES. 

Ah!  black  eyes  are  brilliant  and  shining. 

But  blue  eyes  are  tender  and  dear; 
For  the  dark  eyes,  man  e'er  would  be  pining, 

Yet  the  blue  he  would  wish  always  near. 
Their  dispute  is  unending,  eternal; 

In  turn  each  would  hold  one  in  thrall. 
Love  alone  in  this  contest  supernal 

Can  decide  which  shall  reign  over  all. 

Sure  never  among  us  poor  mortals 
Was  e'er  such  continued  dispute. 

From  the  dawning  of  life  to  its  portals 
Those  eyes  speak,  yet  ever  are  mute. 


DEMON  AND  PITY-US  171 

One's  glance  thrills  like  ardor-flamed  kisses, 

Another's  calls  forth  thousand  sighs; 
The  soul  amidst  rapturous  blisses 

Is  tossed,  as  on  waves,  by  those  eyes ! 

Dark  eyes  may  be  changeful,  caj^ricious, 

(In  danger  thou  art,  e'en  to  view!) 
The  blue  may  be  restful,  delicious. 

One  beholds  them  with  joy  ever  new. 
One  swoons  in  those  shadows  unmeasured. 

In  azure  deeps,  languorous,  rests; 
Brunette's  glance  is  ardently  treasured: 

Though  flying  to  Blondine's  behest. 

The  one  to  decide  this  contention 

Is  he  before  whom  all  must  bow, 
'Tis  Love,  and  that  Judge's  invention 

Is  this;  then  his  fiat  hear  now! 
Those  paramount,  if  you'd  discover 

—  Tho'  searching  the  wide  world  around  — 
Are  those  wherein  each  ardent  lover 

His  own  love  returned  sure  has  found ! 


VEUVE    CHAMPROMIS 


173 


VEUVE    CHAMPROMIS 

IN  lachrymose  mood  was  "  Ste.  Cecile  du  Bic ;  " 
and,  as  the  gray  mists  blotted  out  the  land- 
scape, the  mental  mercury  of  a  certain  sports- 
man seemed  to  sink  to  zero,  as  he  alighted  from  the 
train  and  beheld  such  discouraging  prospect.  With- 
in the  quaint  and  neat  houses,  however,  cheer  and 
comfort  were  to  be  found,  and  the  traveler's  spirits 
rose  as  he  surveyed  the  interior  of  his  abiding-place. 
The  floors,  painted  bright  yellow,  were  strewn  with 
gayest  home-made  rugs;  the  window  shades,  starched 
stiff  as  paper,  were  made  ornate,  according  to  the 
taste  of  the  habitans,  by  semi-circular  plaitings  at 
the  lower  edge,  like  foolscap  fans  made  by  school 
children.  The  stove,  a  curious  structure,  was  set 
into  an  opening  in  the  partition  between  two  rooms, 
thus  presenting  broadsides  to  adjoining  apart- 
ments,—  an  ingenious  arrangement  for  economizing 
heat, —  and  in  summer  screened  by  hangings  of 
bright  cretonne.  A  southeast  gale  was  blowing, 
trying  its  best  to  twist  to  breaking  the  sturdy  and 
prim  poplars, —  those  arboreal  grenadiers  so  appro- 
priate to  the  foreign-seeming  village, —  and  threat- 
ening to  lift  the  wide-curving  roofs  as  it  whistled 
under  their  broad  eaves. 

175 


176       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Towards  evening  the  wind  suddenly  shifted  to  the 
northwest,  the  cloud  curtain  lifted  sufficiently  to  re- 
veal a  broad  band  of  gold  above  the  water,  and  to 
permit  the  sun's  javelins  to  shoot  out  beneath;  thus 
revealing  to  the  stranger's  view,  as  he  stepped  out 
on  the  "  galerie,"  every  detail  of  the  landscape. 
What  a  picture  met  his  gaze !  Capes,  islands, —  one 
shaped  precisely  like  a  haystack  peeping  over  a  near 
roof, — '  and  the  mountains  inland ;  the  eye  gloated 
on  the  scene. 

Opposite  to  Pecheur  Melilotte's  stood  a  rather 
more  elegant  domicile,  whose  broad  eaves  stretched 
widely  enough  to  be  supported  on  rustic  pillars, 
forming  a  pleasant  piazza  or  galerie.  This 
instantly  absorbed  the  stranger's  gaze,  causing  him 
to  decide  that  the  French  village  might  prove  to 
have  great  allurements  after  all ;  for  upon  this  galerie 
there  soon  appeared  a  lithe  and  graceful  figure, 
which,  with  its  brilliant  eyes,  floating  ringlets,  warm 
coloring  and  tasteful,  though  extremely  simple, 
attire,  might  have  attracted  attention  anywhere. 

By  means  of  wary'  questions  Mr.  Hugh  Cresswell 
learned  of  Melilotte  that  his  respected  "  voisine " 
was  Veuve  Champromis,  and  the  demoiselle,  the  vision 
of  the  galerie,  her  niece  Felicie.  If  the  astute  ob- 
server who  is  so  likely  to  be  on  hand  at  such  times 
had  at  this  juncture  put  in  an  appearance,  he  would 
have  become  convinced  of  the  diaphanous  nature  of 
the  young  stranger's  manoeuvres,  whereby  he  en- 
deavored to  obtain  the  acquaintance  of  fair  Felice. 


\.^A^^: 


''f^S 


A  French-Canadian  Ii 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  177 

Through  letters  from  business  houses  in  Montreal 
introducing*  him,  Melilotte  was  inveigled  into  pre- 
sentation of  Cresswell  to  Mme.  la  Veuve,  and  she, 
in  time,  seemed  to  permit,  though  she  did  not  encour- 
age, the  beginning  of  acquaintance  with  the  young 
girl,  who  also  seemed  singularly  indifferent  to  the 
man's  efforts  to  interest  her.  This  served  to  put 
him  upon  his  mettle,  for  he  had  "  laid  the  flattering 
unction  to  his  soul "  that  he  was  rather  a  fasci- 
nating person. 

He  seemed  to  find  it  easier  to  win  the  good  opinion 
of  Veuve  Champromis, —  the  fine,  strong  character, 
with  quite  the  air  of  a  dame  of  the  old  regime, —  and 
finally  it  seemed  that  the  niece  could  no  longer  with- 
stand such  assiduous  efforts,  for  she  became  more  gra- 
cious. As  the  young  man  was  absent  during  the 
days,  and  the  girl  probably  engaged  in  household  af- 
fairs, it  happened  that  their  meetings  had  always  been 
in  the  twilight, —  a  dangerous  time,  as  many  people 
know, —  when  on  the  piazza,  with  the  old  woman  en- 
gaged at  her  knitting  close  by,  they  engaged  in  con- 
verse on  various  topics,  and  Cresswell  exerted  him- 
self to  the  utmost  to  exercise  his  blandishments. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  the  youth  waxed  confi- 
dential some  persons  seeming  to  have  such  tendency 
at  those  seductive  hours  "  between  light  and  dark." 
Felicie  was  made  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  he 
maintained  a  correspondence  with  an  entrancing 
young  lady  then  in  Europe,  the  wily  one  even  reading 
to  her  portions  of  the  letters ;  this  to  show  the  bril- 


178       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

liant  style  of  the  epistles  as  proving  the  writer  a 
superior  person,  and  also  his  irresistibility.  Of 
course  the  unsophisticated  country  girl  could  not  see 
through  such  transparent  diplomacy,  and  Mr.  Hugh 
would  gain  an  immense  advantage  in  thus  impressing 
her.  Could  it  he?  Yes!  The  fair  Felicie  turned 
away  with  a  sigh  now  and  then,  and  her  color  rose 
or  faded  as  she  listened ;  all  of  which  assured  the  in- 
teresting Cresswell  of  a  new  conquest,  and  induced 
him  to  essay  the  crowning  test, —  the  production  of 
a  photograph  of  the  absent  one,  and  the  assurance 
that  it  was  the  resemblance  of  this  fair  maid  to  that 
one,  which  had  first  made  him  resolve  to  know  her. 
"  'Twas  ever  thus !  "  What  forlorn  widower  has 
not  won  the  second  mate  by  such  assurance?  —  she 
reminded  him  so  much  of  his  lost  one,  in  whom  he 
was  perfectly  wrapped  up,  as  every  one  knew ;  though 
an  unprejudiced  observer  would  declare  they  were  as 
unlike  as  day  and  night.  "  So  runs  the  world  away," 
and  therefore  of  course  the  fair  unknown  was  seen 
in  the  picture  possessed  of  smooth,  lustrous  locks, 
sleekly  brushed  away  from  her  face,  thin  spirituelle 
countenance,  and  eyes  of  no  particular  character 
which  looked  out  through  "  pince-nez ;"  whereas  the 
gypsyish  French  Canadian's  graceful  head  was  cov- 
ered with  luxuriant  ringlets,  her  face,  though  fine  in 
feature,  showed  more  rounded  contour,  and  the  large 
dark  eyes  were  fairly  scintillant.  The  man  did  ad- 
mit, in  spite  of  these  discrepancies,  apparently  invisi- 
ble to  him,  that  there  was  one  distinct  dissimilarity; 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  179 

bhe  had  not  that  bewitching  lisp,  which  made  Fe- 
licie's  French  still  more  attractive  than  it  might  have 
been  otherwise. 

The  fair  Canadienne  seemed  to  be  on  the  best  of 
terms  wdth  the  other  young  girls,  her  neighbors, 
though  had  they  been  more  used  to  the  ways  of  the 
world  they  might  have  been  jealous  of  her  charms, 
which  won  for  her  the  all-absorbing  attention  of  the 
fine-looking  sportsman,  as  well  as  a  large  share  of  the 
less  polished  gallantry  of  the  village  youths,  on  their 
excursions  and  jours  des  fetes.  The  stranger  was 
surprised  at  her  more  elegant  language  and  pronun- 
ciation, her  general  air  of  better  education;  but  al- 
lusions made  by  the  other  girls  to  her  school  days  in 
Quebec  accounted  for  this. 

Finally  the  gallant  stranger  had  positively  assev- 
erated that  his  fair  foreign  correspondent  had  quite 
faded  from  his  memory,  and,  if  he  had  not  yet 
asserted  that  the  fascinating  Felicie  had  completely 
supplanted  her,  it  was  only  that  he  awaited  suitable 
opportunity  for  such  disclosure.  He  listened  en- 
tranced to  all  that  Felicie  said,  and  found  the  legend- 
ary lore  of  the  neighborhood  a  particularly  interest- 
ing study,  when  she  became  raconteur;  as,  for  in- 
stance, when  they  had  climbed  one  of  the  hills  in  late 
afternoon,  and  were  surveying  the  islands  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Noticing  the  similarity  in  shape  of  many 
of  the  isles  and  headlands,  resembling  animals  crouch- 
ing^ ready  to  spring,  he  learned  that  these  are  the 
dogs  of  Glooscap.     When  the  Odin  of  the  aborigines 


180        TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

sailed  away  from  the  Basin  of  Minas  in  his  stone 
canoe  they  sprang  to  meet  him  as  he  entered  the  har- 
bor en  route  to  his  own  wild  realm  of  the  Saguenay, 
but  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  the  Indian  god  turned 
them  to  stone,  thus  to  remain  until  all  the  world  is 
at  peace,  and  only  then  will  they  return  to  life  and 
their  proper  shape  again. 

Then  Cresswell  asked  about  L'Esprit  du  Bois,  the 
mysterious  visitant  of  the  ravine  beyond  the  village, 
reported  by  farm-hands  and  fishermen,  and  firmly  be- 
lieved by  them  to  be  superhuman;  but  Felicie,  it 
seemed,  had  not  heard  of  this,  but  only  expressed  de- 
sire to  behold  the  marvelous  phantom  of  those  som- 
bre shades,  and  related  instead  the  story  (partly  his- 
toric, partly  legendary),  of  L'lle  du  Massacre  in  the 
harbor.  There,  in  a  cave,  two  hundred  Micmacs  were 
entrapped  by  Iroquois,  who  built  a  great  fire  at  the 
cavern's  mouth,  and  shot  down,  one  by  one,  their 
enemies,  as  they  were  forced  to  emerge  to  escape  suf- 
focation. In  the  moaning  of  the  tide,  the  sighing  of 
the  wind,  do  not  their  descendants  to  this  day  believe 
that  the  unquiet  spirits  protest  at  their  treacherous 
taking  off? 

Mr.  Cresswell's  vacation  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
and,  his  business  requiring  his  return  by  a  certain 
time,  for  a  last  holiday  the  Saguenay  excursion  was 
proposed.  Veuve  Champromis  and  her  lovely  charge 
agreed  to  meet  the  party  of  young  residents  of  Bic, 
who  duly  betook  themselves  to  Riviere-du-Loup, 
where,  while  awaiting  the  great  steamboat,  they  vis- 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  181 

ited  the  fine  cascade,  of  which  Champlain  speaks  as 
"  a  very  pleasant  river,  extending  some  twenty 
leagues  into  the  interior,  which  I  called  St.  Suzanne." 
(The  present  name  is  derived  from  the  seal,  the  loup- 
mariUy  which  frequent  these  waters.) 

Steadily  across  the  wide  expanse  of  the  grand  high- 
way of  Canada, —  thirty  miles  wide  at  this  point, — 
steered  the  great  vessel,  towards  a  break  in  the  moun- 
tain chain,  and,  as  the  golden  glory  deepened  into 
vivid  scarlet,  seemed  to  enter  the  very  portals  of  sun- 
set. While  halting  at  L'Anse  a  I'Eau  the  crescent 
hanging  above  the  wild  rocky  heights  shone  out 
brightly,  apparently  reaching  over  to  see  its  own  sil- 
ver reflection  in  the  black  water;  and  the  shadows  of 
night  gathered  around  the  daring  intruders  who  thus 
ventured  into  this  region  of  mystery  and  wonder,  the 
Iron  Gate  of  the  North ;  where,  in  1643,  the  first  ex- 
plorer, Jean  Fran9ois  de  la  Roque,  Lord  of  Roberval, 
entered,  never  to  return. 

Veuve  Champromis  remained  constantly  near  her 
charge,  but  was  not  an  obtrusive  guardian,  and  as  the 
vessel  moved  steadily  and  stately  into  the  silence  of 
the  cold  starlit  night,  the  young  Bicquois  entreated 
Felicie  to  relate  a  legend  of  the  strange  and  awful 
river,  her  pleasantly  modulated  tones,  and  the  pretty 
foreign  tongue,  giving  the  weird  tale  a  peculiar 
charm. 


182       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


Thousands  of  years  ago  this  region  was  more 
beautiful  than,  a  dream ;  the  heights  covered  with 
magnificent  trees,  the  slopes  with  verdure.  Flowers 
bloomed  in  profusion  in  the  glens,  and  the  glad  carol 
of  myriads  of  birds  filled  the  air  with  melody. 
Balmy  airs  laden  with  perfume  floated  languidly  over 
the  scene.  Here  lived  the  King  of  the  Titans,  who, 
dying  childless,  left  his  realm  in  turmoil  because  of 
a  dispute  between  the  leaders  of  two  rival  factions, 
each  of  whom  considered  himself  the  only  proper 
aspirant  to  the  throne. 

The  laws  of  the  giants  provided  that  in  such  a 
case  as  this  the  kingdom  should  fall  to  the  lot  of  one 
who  could  succeed  in  securing  for  a  wife  the  hand- 
somest woman  among  the  dwellers  on  earth,  though 
she  must  not  be  of  the  Titan  race.  The  disputants, 
who  had  almost  come  to  blows  when  the  decree  was 
promulgated,  suspended  hostilities,  and  the  rivals  set 
out  in  opposite  directions  upon  their  quest,  traveling 
to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  world.  Finally  in  the 
most  distant  realm  they  met,  both  having  been  drawn 
thither  by  the  report  of  a  princess  the  renown  of 
whose  marvelous  beauty  had  been  spread  all  over 
the  globe. 

Naturally  this  "  daughter  of  the  gods,  divinely  tall 
and  most  divinely  fair,"  had  troops  of  suitors  al- 
ready, among  them  being  two  who  were  specially  fa- 
vored by  this  exquisite  being ;  and  now  a  great  council 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  183 

was  called  to  decide  what  should  be  done,  and  all  the 
mighty  potentates  of  the  land  sat  in  solemn  conclave 
for  many  days  and  nights.  Though  the  Titans  were 
so  powerful,  and  could  easily  carry  off  the  fair  crea- 
ture, their  laws  would  not  permit  of  such  proceeding, 
but  the  wondrous  beauty  must  be  allowed  free  choice. 
It  was  decided  that  the  princess  must  first  see  the 
distant  realm  whence  the  strangers  had  come;  there- 
fore, accompanied  by  the  two  suitors  from  among  her 
people  who  had  found  most  favor  in  her  sight,  she 
was  to  travel  to  the  domains  of  the  giants,  and  there, 
deciding  between  the  merits  of  the  four,  choose  one 
for  her  husband. 

Meanwhile  dreadful  events  were  taking  place  in 
the  Saguenay  region.  There  were  at  this  period 
good  and  evil  spirits  dwelling  about  all  rivers,  streams 
and  lakes.  The  good  genii  worked  on  behalf  of  the 
Titans  by  causing  beneficent  moisture  to  rise  from 
the  waters,  making  the  land  fertile,  producing  favor- 
ing winds,  and  assisting  their  masters  in  traversing 
the  country  by  means  of  these  waterways.  The  evil 
spirits  endeavored  to  counteract  this  by  causing  con- 
trary winds,  opposing  currents  in  the  streams,  and 
seasons  of  drought  over  the  land,  so  there  was  endless 
contention  and  strife. 

At  last,  in  a  terrific  conflict  in  the  Saguenay  gorge, 
near  Tadousac,  the  evil  spirits  became  victorious,  but 
could  not  exterminate  the  good  spirits,  for  these  lat- 
ter saved  themselves  by  assuming  the  form  of  white 
whales.     Only  the  leader  of  the  wicked  spirits  can 


ia4       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

behold  the  white  whales  without  being  annihilated, 
consequently  the  evil  genii  became  exterminated  by, 
the  spectacle,  and  their  king,  being  able  to  travel  only 
by  water,  is  held  prisoner  in  this  river,  as  he  cannot 
pass  the  whale  guard  at  its  mouth.  This  battle  of 
the  contending  giants  was  the  cause  of  a  war  of  the 
elements;  thunder  crashed  in  astounding  detonations, 
every  peal  repeated  ten  times  from  the  towering 
crags,  while  bolts  fell  seething  into  the  Stygian 
stream,  or  caused  the  forests  to  burst  into  flame,  and 
the  earth  to  heave  in  agony. 

In  the  midst  of  this  direful  tempest,  more  ap- 
palling than  imagination  could  picture,  the  princess, 
in  company  with  her  two  lovers  and  the  two  giants, 
had  just  reached  a  point  not  far  from  Cape  Trinity, 
and  endeavored  to  find  shelter.  After  raging  many 
days,  however,  the  storm  culminated  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  giants  and  all  their  race ;  also  the  princess 
and  her  lovers. 

The  good  spirits,  compassionating  the  death  of  the 
beauteous  being,  caused  the  one  whom  she  would  have 
favored  to  be  turned  to  stone  and  placed  like  a 
monstrous  sentinel  at  the  entrance  of  a  cavern,  within 
which,  one  thousand  feet  above  the  black  water,  the 
princess  sleeps  until  the  world  shall  be  destroyed. 
This  monumental  or  statue-rock  fell  through  the  ice 
many  years  ago,  and  when  into  this  stem  region 
comes  a  mortal  who  has  attained  perfection,  and  so 
can  annihilate  the  king  of  the  evil  spirits  (still  held 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  185 

prisoner  by  the  white  whales),  then  this  dreary,  bar- 
ren region  will  again  blossom  like  the  rose. 

Long  ere  this  the  young  moon  had  disappeared  be- 
hind vast  walls  of  black  rock,  the  stars  shone  out  with 
peculiarly  remote  and  cold  light.  Their  young  com- 
panions at  this  point  withdrew  into  the  cabin,  and 
Veuve  Champromis  apparently  dozed,  with  her  head 
leaning  against  a  window  frame.  The  young  man 
impetuously  urged  Felicie  to  take  "  just  two  or  three 
turns  on,  the  deck,"  before  she  went,  and  then,  no 
longer  resisting  the  spell  which  had  seemed  to  be 
more  and  more  closely  enchaining  him,  began  to  pour 
passionate  protestation  and  appeal  into  the  fair  girl's 
ear. 

It  was  not  inaptly  timed,  and  seemed  an  auspicious 
moment  for  a  declaration, —  (Mr.  Cresswell  had  an 
eye  for  effect,  and  had  calculated  on  this), —  but  the 
demoiselle  was  non-committal,  answering  apparently 
half  jestingly,  half  in  earnest;  endeavoring  to  check 
his  impassioned  utterances.  At  last  she  replied  seri- 
ously, although  seeming  to  yield  to  a  peculiarly 
whimsical  fancy,  asseverating  that  she  would  consult 
"  L'Esprit  du  Bois  "  on  their  return.  Though  baf- 
fled and  puzzled,  with  his  eloquent  asseverations  ab- 
ruptly checked,  the  man  did  not  lose  confidence,  but 
rather  sought  to  give  the  impression  that  he  gained 
thereby,  as  he  playfully  reminded  his  fair  companion 
that  "  the  woman  who  dehberates  is  lost."     At  this 


186       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

juncture  the  elderly  guardian  roused  herself  and 
marshaled  her  fair  charge  to  their  room,  Cresswell 
being  left  alone  to  think  it  all  over,  to  study  astron- 
omy, certain  that  his  lucky  star  was  among  those  scin- 
tillators, or  to  resign  himself  to  the  care  of  Mor- 
pheus. 

The  steamer  ploughed  steadily  on  through  the  dark, 
still  night,  and  sunrise  found  them  anchored  at  the 
point  known  to  the  Indians  as  Hesknewaska  (Ha-ha 
Bay),  where  a  strange  wild  scene  greeted  the  view. 
The  sky  was  covered  with  flying  scud;  just  above 
the  horizon  a  lurid  and  angry-looking  band  of  yel- 
low and  red  stretched  back  of  the  promontories 
guarding  the  opening  of  this  curious  elbow  of  the 
river,  the  colors  reflected  in  tossing  wavelets,  and, 
nearer,  merging  into  olive  tints  and  greenish-gray, 
like  molten  metal.  Onward  the  steamer  went  to  the 
pretty  town  at  the  head  of  navigation  (which  seems 
out  of  place  in  this  remote  region),  and  thence  re- 
tracing her  course,  passed  down  the  mighty  gorge. 

From  the  now  leaden  sky,  occasionally  a  sorrowful 
little  shower  drifted  over  the  heights.  Vast  masses  of 
rock  looming  up  on  either  shore  wore  no  warm  color, 
but  were  all  stern  gray, —  granite,  hard  as  iron,  look- 
ing particularly  cold  with  its  thin  growth  of  stunted 
trees, —  and  the  scene  bore  a  hard,  severe  aspect, 
which,  however,  seemed  fitting,  and  enhanced  the 
sense  of  solitude  and  loneliness.  Occasional  pale, 
watery  gleams  broke  through  the  clouds,  but  one 
could  hardly  imagine  a  brilliantly  blue  and  sunny  sky 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  187 

arching  the  prodigious  chasm;  it  would  seem  incon- 
gruous. Even  those  among  the  party  who  had 
seemed  the  most  Hght-hearted  became  subdued  and 
awed  by  the  majestic  grandeur  and  wonder  of  their 
surroundings,  and  a  solemn  hush  fell  on  all.  The 
sense  of  awe  became  almost  oppressive  as  each  one 
gazed  on  the  towering  and  bare  storm-scarred  cliffs. 
Then  the  echoes,  carrying  to  most  distant  ravines  and 
gorges  the  sounds  of  the  vessel,  repeated,  augmented 
and  exaggerated  the  hissing  of  the  stream,  the  puffing 
of  the  engines,  the  dashing  of  the  paddle-wheels,  un- 
til all  the  wild  chasms  and  rocky  fastnesses  seemed 
filled  with  unimagined  goblins  protesting  at  such  in- 
trusion. Steaming  steadily  onward,  leaving  the 
grandest  heights  far  in  the  distance,  it  appeared  most 
fitting  that  the  showers  should  become  more  frequent 
and  persistent,  dropping  successive  curtains  of  gray, 
until  the  weird  region  thus  faded  from  sight  and  en- 
veloped itself  more  securely  in  the  mystery  which  for 
a  short  time  the  voyagers  had  ventured  to  penetrate. 
Later,  on  emerging  into  the  greater  river,  behold 
sunshine  and  soft  breeze,  with  a  long  swell  from  the 
gulf,  imparting  a  slow,  dreamy,  soothing  swing  to 
the  vessel.  The  passengers  seemed  relieved  from  a 
strange  spell  as  they  thus  came  back  to  the  world 
again. 

Cresswell,  with  the  impatient  ardor  of  a  lover, 
urged  his  suit,  and  Felicie  playfully  dared  him  to 
accompany  her  to  consult  "  L'Esprit  du  Bois,"  de- 
claring that  only  then  would  she  redeem  her  promise 


188       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

and  give  her  answer.  Through  the  pine  woods  weird 
and  dark  the  wind  sighed  eerily;  struggling  moon- 
beams sifted  tlirough  the  branches:  an  appropriate 
spot  it  was  for  spectral  manifestations.  Felicie,  en- 
veloped in  a  long  black  cloak,  accompanied  by  her 
faithful  shadow  Champromis,  indicated  a  point  where 
Cresswell  must  station  himself  at  one  tree,  and  she 
would  do  likewise  at  a  little  distance,  whence  they 
could  behold  the  apparition  at  a  cleared  space  just 
beyond.  Sombre  and  black  stood  the  stately  pines. 
Some,  hung  with  moss,  were  bearded  like  Capuchins ; 
and  beyond  them  again  stood  great  silver  birches  in 
spectral  array,  the  moonUght,  slanting  through  dark 
branches,  shimmering  on  their  white  trunks. 

Then,  indeed,  Cresswell  started,  and  experienced  a 
singular  thrill  as  he  became  aware  of  a  white  figure 
moving  towards  the  clearing,  at  which  place  it 
paused,  clearly  revealed  in  the  moonlight.  A  mass 
of  waving  dark  hair  was  held  back  from  the  face  by 
a  band  of  sparkling  gems,  sleeves  of  a  clinging  robe 
in  Grecian  style  fell  away  from  beautifully  rounded 
graceful  arms,  and  classic  sandals  covered  dainty  feet. 
The  phantom  waved  its  arms,  reaching  out  as  in 
earnest  entreaty ;  it  knelt  and  drooped  as  in  abject  de- 
spair; it  posed  and  gesticulated,  posturing  entranc- 
ingly.  Cresswell  beheld  as  if  spellbound,  hardly  dar- 
ing to  breathe  deeply,  so  fearful  was  he  of  dispelling 
the  vision.  Finally,  as  if  impelled  by  irresistible 
force,  he  rushed  forward  with  outstretched  arms,  ex- 
claiming, in  tones  in  which  amazement,  doubt,  en- 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  189 

treaty,  ecstasy,  were  strangely  mingled,  "  Alethea ! " 
Then  the  vision  spoke,  in  clear,  cold  tones,  enuncia- 
ting :  "  Claire,  Felicie,  Alethea  le  Mesurier,  whom 
you  once  knew  as  Althea  Masury.*' 

The  man  could  not  find  words  with  which  to  ques- 
tion the  fair  being,  and  she,  seating  herself  on  a 
fallen  tree,  as  if  fearful  that  her  strength  would  be 
taxed  by  the  recital,  prefaced  her  explanation  by  dis- 
playing in  her  slender  palm  a  tiny  white  pebble,  of 
which  sho  remarked,  "  I  have  classic  authority  for 
producing  a  lisp." 

"  Her  letters  continuing  to  come  from  abroad?  " 
"  Oh,  that  was  easily  managed ;  they  were  sent  to  a 
schoolmate  traveling  there,  who  posted  them  from 
various  points.  Before  her  departure  she  had  be- 
come somewhat  doubtful  of  the  absolute  sincerity  of 
a  very  near  and  dear  friend.  She  thought  absence 
might  prove  a  test,  but  incontrovertible  evidence  of 
his  faithlessness  had  been  sent  to  her  there.  She 
could  not  believe  it,  but  resolved  to  prove  to  herself. 
During  this  time  she  had  endured  a  slow  and  wasting 
fever,  from  which,  however,  she  had  arisen  with  re- 
newed powers.  Though  she  had  been  compelled  to 
have  her  hair  entirely  shorn,  the  new  growth  had 
come  in  ambrosial  fashion,  quite  changing  her  ap- 
pearance, and  a  foreign  oculist  had  effected  a  cure  of 
weakness  of  the  eyes,  so  pince-nez  were  discarded. 
Then,  while  abroad,  she  had  decided  to  devote  herself 
to  histrionic  study ;  and  by  the  name  unfamiliar  to  her 
auditor  (except  as  he  had  read  of  her  triumphs)  she 


190       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

had  attained  a  position  which  assured  a  comfortable 
living  for  the  future.  She  had  also  been  enriched  by 
a  large  legacy  which  had  come  to  her  while  in  France 
from  an  eccentric  relative,  formerly  of  French 
Guiana.  This  woman,  living  like  an  anchorite,  yet 
had  a  fancy  for  rich  baubles,  and  had  put  much  of 
her  property  into  a  gorgeous  necklace,  which  she  had 
collected  and  added  to  at  various  times  during  Bo- 
hemian wanderings.  This  had  proved  not  such  a 
senseless  proceeding  after  all,  as,  at  a  time  of  mutiny 
and  pillage  in  the  East,  the  old  woman,  in  simplest 
attire,  with  nothing  in  her  hands,  had  coolly  walked 
away,  unquestioned  and  unscathed,  with  the  string  of 
gems  securely  covered  by  and  wound  into  the  coil 
of  grizzled  hair  at  the  back  of  her  head ! " 

It  had  seemed  that  the  picturesque  narrator  had 
spoken  in  intense  though  repressed  excitement.  This 
reminiscence  apparently  amused  her  as  she  related 
it,  and  her  tone  became  less  cold  and  measured;  at 
this  point,  however,  she  continued.  She  had  prom- 
ised her  faithful  friend.  Veuve  Champromis, —  her 
so-called  aunt,  in  reality  her  governess  and  caretaker 
in  girlhood, —  that  she  would  not  acknowledge  her 
betrothal  to  Mr.  Hugh  Cresswell  until  a  certain  time 
had  elapsed.  Madame  had  been  her  chaperon  and 
companion  during  her  foreign  sojourn,  and  Felicie, 
anxious  to  try  her  histrionic  powers,  had  become  pos- 
sessed of  the  fancy  to  return  incognito  and  test  a  cer- 
tain young  man.  She  had  heard  that  while  repre- 
senting himself  as  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  leisure 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  191 

he  was  in  reality  merely  a  commercial  traveler,  who 
had  a  way  of  ingratiating  himself  among  the  unsus- 
pecting people,  now  and  then  amusing  himself  "  win- 
ning a  country  heart  for  pastime  ere  he  went  to 
town ;  "  and  it  even  was  whispered  that  he  had  a  wife 
over  at  Cap  a  I'Aigle. 

Felicie  arose,  and  the  conscience-stricken  man 
gazed  speechlessly  at  a  glittering  ring  which  she 
dropped  into  his  hand,  as  L'Esprit  du  Bois  and  the 
faithful  attendant  shadow  vanished  among  the  pines. 


STATISTICS    OF    THE    SAGUENAY. 

In  1603  de  Monts  (Pierre  du  Guast)  had  obtained 
exclusive  privilege  to  trade  from  Terreneuve  to  fifty 
degrees  north  latitude,  and  equipped  four  vessels,  one 
of  which  traded  at  Tadousac.  The  vessels  were  un- 
der the  care  of  Champlain,  who  at  Tadousac  found 
numbers  of  savages  who  had  come  to  sell  skins.  He 
minutely  describes  their  canoes,  which  struck  him 
with  wonder.  Charlevoix's  map  was  creditable,  and 
quite  accurate  for  his  time.  Under  the  French  gov- 
ernment the  interior  of  Canada  was  better  known 
than  it  was  after  the  establishment  of  English  rule. 

The  region  of  the  Saguenay  and  Lake  St.  John 
formerly  formed  part  of  a  great  tract  known  as  the 
"  Domaine  du  Roi,"  and  was  conceded  to  the  "  Com- 
pagnie  des  Postes  du  Roi."  An  approximate  though 
not  exact  estimate  of  its  extent  is  made  in  saying 
that  it  stretched  between  forty-eight  and  fifty  de- 


192       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

grees  north  latitude,  and  between  sixty-five  and  sev- 
enty-four degrees  west  longitude;  these  limits  con- 
tinued until  1840,  "  at  which  epoch  it  was  handed 
over  to  the  electoral  circumspection  of  the  Province 
of  Quebec." 

After  the  cession  of  Canada  to  the  English  the 
Saguenay  territory  continued  to  be  cultivated  some- 
what. The  farmers  were  interested  to  exclude  stran- 
gers as  much  as  possible.  They  wished  to  maintain 
their  monopoly,  to  hinder  competition,  to  keep  to 
themselves  the  resources  of  the  country,  and  there- 
fore jealously  guarded  their  secret  whenever  the  re- 
newal of  the  lease  was  agitated.  It  was  on  this  ac- 
count that  so  little  was  known  of  this  territory. 
Even  the  various  divisions  of  the  Montagnais  Indian 
tribes  who  roamed  through  the  wilds,  wishing  to  keep 
to  themselves  their  hunting  grounds,  discouraged  in- 
terlopers from  venturing  thither  by  representing  the 
region  as  arid,  mountainous,  and  of  frightful  as- 
pect. 

The  fate  of  the  first  exploring  expedition, — 
Roberval's,  in  1543, — "  remains  one  of  the  secrets 
of  the  time."  In  1640,  twenty-seven  years  after  the 
founding  of  Quebec,  the  Jesuit  De  Quen  established 
a  mission  at  Tadousac.  In  1672  Pere  Albanel  trav- 
eled to  Hudson's  Bay  via  rivers  Mistassini  and  Ru- 
pert a  j  ourney  which  has  been  made  but  once  since  by 
a  European,  the  naturalist  Michaux.  This  celebrated 
French  botanist  left  a  legacy  to  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society  of  Philadelphia.     In  1733  Norman- 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  193 

din,  a  surveyor,  traveled  to  the  northwest  of  Lake 
St.  John,  and  "  made  a  faithful  and  detailed  map, 
but  one  copy  of  which  is  known  to  exist,  that  being 
kept  in  the  Department  of  Lands  of  the  Crown." 

The  Indian  name  of  this  river  was  Pitchitamichetz, 
the  present  title  being  a  corruption  of  another  Indian 
name,  Saggichecus,  signifying  "  river  of  precipices." 
From  Lake  St.  John  two  streams  emerge,  which,  sep- 
arated by  the  Isle  d'Alma,  meet  three  leagues  below, 
and  form  this  strange  river,  which  for  twelve  leagues 
is  "  precipitated  in  cascades,  falls  and  rapids  of  great 
turbulence,"  then  "  takes  a  uniform  and  regular 
course  for  seven  miles  above  Chicoutimi  flowing 
thence  to  Tadousac,  diverging  always  towards  the 
east,  a  distance  of  forty  leagues.  The  Indian  name 
Shekutimish  signified  "  far  and  deep." 

Erroneous  ideas  and  statements  as  to  the  great 
depth  of  the  river  have  been  prevalent  and  generally 
accepted.  "  In  Bouchette's  '  Topographical  Diction- 
ary of  the  Province,'  he  states  that  soundings  have 
been  made,  showing  the  depth  of  the  river  to  be  three 
hundred  and  thirty  fathoms,  equal  to  nearly  two 
thousand  feet,  an  error  which  has  been  unfortunately 
too  generally  believed  since  the  publication  of  that 
work."  Soundings  effected  in  1830,  by  Captain 
Bayfield,  of  the  English  Royal  Marine,  correct  exag- 
gerations which  attribute  to  the  Saguenay  a  depth  of 
fifteen  hundred  to  eighteen  hundred  feet,  and  more 
than  two  thousand  feet  in  more  than  one  place;  but 
the  mass  of  the  public  persist  in  the  error  which  has 


194       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

become  to-day  a  sort  of  tradition,  and  some  continue, 
notwithstanding  scientific  demonstrations  to  the  con- 
trary, to  beHeve  that  the  river  is  unfathomable. 
Bayfield's  map  shows  that  at  the  very  mouth,  where, 
according  to  common  belief,  bottom  has  not  been 
found  at  three  hundred  and  forty  fathoms,  the  great- 
est depth  does  not  exceed  seventy-six  fathoms,  and 
that  this  increases  successively  to  eighty-eight,  one 
hundred  and  one  hundred  and  eight  fathoms  in  the 
space  of  three  or  four  miles  in  ascending  the  river, 
until  it  attains  its  greatest  depth,  which  is  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  fathoms,  between  Passe  Pierre 
and  L'Anse  St.  Etienne,  about  five  miles  from  Ta- 
dousac.  Moreover,  the  depth  of  the  Saguenay  is 
•extremely  variable  and  changes  suddenly ;  at  one 
point  measuring  ten  fathoms,  and  a  short  distance 
farther  on  marking  eighty  fathoms.  The  depth  is 
most  uniform  between  Cape  Eternity  and  La  De- 
scente  des  Femmes ;  more  than  once  in  this  distance 
it  reaches  one  hundred  and  forty-five  fathoms,  and  is 
not  less  than  one  hundred  fathoms.  The  former 
point  is  thirty-nine  miles,  the  latter  forty-seven  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

The  "  cataclysmic  theory  "  is  that  the  prolonged 
gorge  of  the  Saguenay  was  formed  by  tremendous 
convulsions  of  nature,  which  almost  drained  Lake  St. 
John, —  supposed  to  have  been  ninety  leagues  in 
length  in  former  ages, —  but  the  general  belief  at 
present  is  that  it  was  in  consequence  of  a  gradual 
wearing  away  of  the  rock  by  frost,  moisture  and  at- 


VEUVE  CHAMPROMIS  195 

mospheric    effects,    though    earthquake    shocks    may 
have  assisted  in  some  places. 

The  white  whales  (Beluga  borealis)  which  frequent 
the  Saguenay  near  its  confluence  with  the  St.  Law- 
rence are  creatures  as  strange  as  this  resort.  They 
measure  fourteen  to  twenty-two  feet  in  length,  each 
carcass  yielding  over  one  hundred  gallons  of  oil, 
which  brings  a  good  price  in  the  market.  On  the 
coasts  of  Siberia  and  Nova  Zembla  the  white  whale 
fishery  is  an  important  and  valuable  industry,  the 
huge  creatures  being  captured  by  means  of  enormous 
and  extremely  strong  nets.  Vessels  from  Tromsoe 
alone  secured  almost  three  thousand  in  one  season; 
their  value  being  $30,000.  The  whale  fishery  has 
almost  died  out  in  the  United  States,  though  it  is  not 
yet  quite  extinct.  In  twenty-five  years  the-  annual 
product  decreased  from  one  hundred  thousand  bar- 
rels of  sperm  oil  to  forty-two  thousand;  whale  oil, 
from  three  hundred  thousand  to  thirty-five  thousand ; 
and  bone  from  five  million  pounds  to  four  hundred 
thousand  pounds. 


"LAZY  BOOLMONG" 


197 


«  LAZY  BOOLMONG  » 

4  4fnp\REMBLING,  tumbling,  crumbling,  fall- 
I  ing ;  "  such  is  the  meaning  of  Les  Ebou- 
lements.  A  place  of  earthquakes  and 
landslides!  No  wonder  it  is  not  even  indicated  on 
general  maps.  Probably  the  significance  of  the  title 
would  be  sufficient  warning  to  pleasure  seekers  to 
avoid  the  charming  Normanesque  region.  It  was,  in 
this  case,  however,  an  enticing  title;  an  alluring  cog- 
nomen, when  pronounced  as  above,  by  English  res- 
idents of  Quebec.  In  this  age  of  life  at  high  pres- 
sure there  are  some  who  must  get  out  of  the  hurry 
and  bustle  at  times,  or  become  liable  to  a  woeful  giv- 
ing out  of  faculties.  Yes,  that  was  the  spot  to  aim 
for;  there  one  could  be  lazy  with  an  easy  conscience, 
and,  entering  into  the  simple  pastoral  life  of  the  un- 
sophisticated peasants,  accumulate  avoirdupois  and 
store  up  strength  to  withstand  the  wear  of  winter 
avocations. 

As  the  great  vessel  steamed  past  the  charming  Isle 
of  Orleans,  Cap  Tourmente,  whose  fine  slopes  and 
cerulean  hue  had  been  familiar  for  so  long  at  Quebec, 
appeared  in  bold  relief,  clearly  defined  from  base  to 
summit.     The    quaint     chronicler,     Charlevoix,     re- 

199 


200      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

marks,  "  He  that  gave  this  name  suffered  here  by  a 
gust  of  wind,"  but  angry  gales  were  subdued  to 
balmy  breezes  at  this  time.  The  giants  of  the  Lau- 
rentians,  "  oldest  mountains  of  the  world," —  so  say 
scientists, —  stand  guarding  the  grand  highway,  their 
heads  cloud-capped,  their  feet  laved  by  the  flood. 
The  suggestion  of  Norway  is  unmistakable,  even  to 
those  who  have  not  visited  that  realm  of  Titans  and 
Jotuns.  After  four  hours  of  such  delightsome  navi- 
gation, Mt.  Eboulements  appeared,  looming  2,457 
feet  above  the  river.  Along  the  shore  cottages  are 
scattered,  suggesting  a  straggling  procession  of  peni- 
tents making  pilgrimage  to  the  far-away  church  of 
Notre  Dame  de  Bonsecours  on  top  of  the  mountain. 
As  this  mountain  does  not  stand  out  from  the  range 
like  those  at  Bay  St.  Paul  the  height  is  not  so  ap- 
parent, and  may  be  at  first  sight  disappointing.  The 
singularly-shaped  peaks,  back  of  the  village  on  the 
heights  resemble  the  rounded  summits  —  called  "  bal- 
lons  " —  of  that  part  of  France  whence  these  earliest 
settlers  came.  Two  or  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
river  is  a  stretch  of  tolerably  level  farm-land,  with 
picturesque  houses,  and  bams  built  of  logs,  with 
thatched  roofs  to  delight  an  artist,  while  far  above, 
apparently  among  the  clouds,  stands  the  village 
proper.  The  sides  of  the  mountain  are  scored  with 
deep  ravines,  through  whose  dark,  dank  clefts  beau- 
tiful cascades  rush  down  to  the  great  river.  The 
beautiful  Reine  des  Neiges  allures  one  to  her  mys- 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  201 

terious  seclusion,  although  there  is  no  path,  and  a 
rough  and  tough  scramble  and  slide  must  be  essayed 
by  the  prospector. 

At  the  long  wharf  Monsieur  awaited  the  summer- 
ing company  with  charette  and  qtuitre-roua:,  by 
means  of  which  vehicles  his  guests  were  conveyed  to 
an  admirably  located  house  commanding  a  superb 
view — ^  Isle-aux-Coudres,  Cap  Corbeau  jutting  out 
beyond,  Mont  St.  Antoine  and  his  fellows  trending  off 
to  the  southwest,  "  up  river,"  gradually  diminishing 
in  size  and  fading  in  hue  till  their  tints  blended  with 
those  of  the  sky. 

Idyllic  life,  heavenly  rest,  absolute  peace  ensued; 
one  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  return  to  the 
world's  turmoil,  and  awoke  each  day  with  a  renewed 
sense  of  delight  that  he  could  stay.  When  .sailing 
and  fishing  lured  away  the  masculine  members  of  the 
company,  Mesdames  les  Americaines  climbed  the 
great  mountain  by  quite  a  miniature  Alpine  pass  to 
visit  the  Seigniory,  or  strolled  along  shore.  Charm- 
ing and  simple  manners  pervaded  the  whole  com- 
munity. Barefooted  urchins,  on  meeting  the  stran- 
gers, instantly  doffed  hats  —  (yes,  even  when  "  play- 
ing horse"  at  recess), —  and  in  pleasant  toned 
voices  ^   gave  pretty   salutation :   "  Dieu   vous   salut, 

1  The  mellow,  low  tones  of  these  country  folk  strike  one  at 
once,  in  contrast  to  the  voices  of  people  in  general  in  many 
parts  of  the  States.  The  children  even  at  play  do  not  shriek 
or  shout.  Scientists  have  remarked  that  city  life  has  a  dele- 
terious effect  on  voices,  causing  them  to  become  harsh,  nasal, 
high-pitched. 


W2       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Mesdames,"  recalling  the  less  poetic  but  kindly  "  Got- 
tesgriiss  "  of  the  German  peasant. 

Loom  and  spinning-wheel  were  to  be  seen  in  all  the 
houses,  and  Madame  proudly  displayed  the  fine  ma- 
terials she  had  woven  and  dyed  for  her  winter  gowns, 
—  Vetoffe  du  pays,  or  homespun ;  and  a  visit  to  the 
queer  little  building  in  which  these  materials  are 
pressed  and  trimmed  was  next  in  order.  Here  stood 
in  olden  times  "  le  moulin  du  Seigneur ;"  the  present 
holder  and  worker  in  that  edifice  displayed  the  pro- 
cesses of  grinding  and  bolting  with  justifiable  pride 
in  his  establishment,  though  it  looks  so  primitive  to 
"  States  people  "  now.  Decidedly  oldtime-y  are  the 
farming  implements  in  general,  the  habitan  being 
conservative  and  devoted  to  his  ancient  methods  and 
tools,  though  some  whose  sons  have  "  gone  to  the 
States,"  or  who  have  themselves  visited  manufactur- 
ing towns  near  the  order  in  New  England,  have  ven- 
tured to  try  hay -tedders!  Not  larger  than  a  bucket 
was  Madame's  chum,  which  was  used  on  a  table,  its 
support  consisting  of  a  horse  or  standard,  composed 
of  a  bar  between  X  ends.  As  it  is  quite  possible  that 
it  was  made  of  hass  wood,  the  Scrivener  assumed  the 
office  of  sponsor  and  christened  it  XX  Pail.  The 
highest  praise  that  one  could  give  the  butter  therein 
manufactured  would  be  to  say  it  would  satisfy  a 
Philadelphian,  they  being  well  known  as  connoisseurs 
of  that  article. 

Dainty  and  delectable  were  Madame's  viands  — 
crepes,  croquignolles,  etc.,  the  former  large,  thin  pan- 


«  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  203 

cakes  rolled  and  laid  in  rows  on  a  great  platter;  the 
latter  a  kind  of  cruller.  And  then  the  puddings, 
poultry,  trout,  "sardines"  (otherwise  smelt),  fresh 
from  the  river;  the  wild  strawberries  and  raspberries, 
would  delight  an  epicure.  One  member  of  the  com- 
pany gravely  quoted  from  the  noted  Mrs.  M.  B. 
G.  E. :  "  Gastronomic  pleasure  is  a  sensuous  illusion, 
a  phantasm  of  the  mere  mortal  mind,  which  dimin- 
ishes as  we  go  up  the  ladder  of  life,"  though  a  wicked 
twinkle  in  the  eye  implied  that  that  person  is  willing 
to  remain  here  a  while  longer  and  indulge  in  such 
pleasures!  To  drive  along  the  shore  at  low  tide, 
passing  around  far  outreaching  spurs  of  the  moun- 
tains, whose  overhanging  crags  look  as  if  they  must 
topple  and  crush  such  daring  intruders,  is  an  expe- 
rience worth  having,  a  sensation  to  be  remembered. 
Thus  St.  Paul's  Bay  is  reached,  and  voted  pleasing 
as  a  little  out-of-the-way  bit  of  Switzerland,  in  minia- 
ture. 

'Tis  a  thoroughly  French  settlement,  the  whole 
village  and  its  surroundings  foreign  seeming.  Pas- 
sengers from  the  great  river  boats  are  deposited  on  a 
tiny  landing-stage, —  a  square  foundation  of  huge 
piles  supporting  a  little  lighthouse, —  whence  sail- 
boats convey  them  to  the  village,  two  and  one-half 
miles  distant.  There  a  row  of  buck-boards  with 
chaise-like  bonnets  ovei^  the  seat, —  quatre-roiiXy — 
stand  waiting  for  passengers,  and  these  peculiar  vehi- 
cles, as  seen  from  the  little  "  cage,"  or  wharf,  are 
comically  suggestive  of  penguins.     At  the  Batture  or 


204      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

dunes  (also  set  down  as  Barachois  on  old  maps),  un- 
der the  pines,  was  just  the  correct  place,"  "  pour  le 
pique-nique ; "  and  then  a  return  drive  over  the 
mountains  made  amply  satisfying  termination  of  the 
tour.  Nautical  phraseology  seemed  natural  in  such 
region,  where  the  river  is  twenty-one  miles  wide  and 
the  people  are  amphibious;  for  instance,  embarquer 
and  debarquer  are  used  when  requesting  one  to  get 
into  or  out  of  a  vehicle.  Madame,  having  been  edu- 
cated in  a  convent,  was  reasonably  correct  in  her  lan- 
guage, but  her  maid  would  say,  "  Je  vais  vous  en- 
macher  cela,  Madame,"  "  Faut-il  demancher  le  lit," 
"  J'ai  bouillante  le  the,"  etc.  To  the  country  folk 
midges  are  lou  lobs,  and  the  eerie  cry  which  the 
Americans  recognized  as  the  loon  — 


was  to  them  hJbou.  When  one  looked  doubtfully  at 
a  bit  of  mackerel  sky  Madame  said :  "  Ciel  pommele 
fille  fardei,  ne  sont  pas  longue  duree."  It  is  not  ex- 
actly patois  which  these  peasants  speak, —  the  tongue 
of  the  "  half-breed  "  might  more  properly  be  so  des- 
ignated,—  but  they  use  archaic  phraseology;  their 
wording  is  similar  to  that  of  earliest  settlers  if  not 
quite  the  same.  One  hears  coop  in  place  of  tasse; 
■fleur  instead  of  farine;  patate  for  pomme-de-terre. 
In  some  French  colonies  batatas  means  yam;  and  in 
others  the  sweet  potato  is  called  batate.  Old  France 
knew  nothing  of  the  condition  of  life  in  "  La  Nou- 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  205 

velle  France ; "  savants  of  the  olden  time  would  have 
racked  their  brains  over  terms  which  they  could  not 
put  into  classic  French.  Early  settlers  probably  in- 
vented some  phrases ;  and  words  adopted  from  the  In- 
dians were  also  incorporated  into  their  speech,  and 
handed  down  through  successive  generations.  There 
are  highly  cultivated  French  families  in  Quebec  who 
are  quite  exclusive,  and  pride  themselves  on  keeping 
their  language  pure ;  but  to  those  who  have  been  fre- 
quent visitors  to  France  in  the  present  time  it  would 
sound  as  if  even  they  had  stepped  out  of  some  ancient 
book  or  record  of  ye  olden  time. 

(A  Japanese  gentleman  of  the  highest  class  and 
most  finished  education  "  talks  like  a  book "  and 
sounds  old-fashioned.  Though  his  English  is  per- 
fectly correct,  it  sounds  almost  strange  to  us,  as  we 
are  careless  in  our  speech;  falling  into  the  habit  of 
using  set  phrases,  incorrect  terms,  and  colloquialisms, 
such  as  we  frequently  hear.) 

Though  the  great  steamers  constantly  ply  between 
Quebec,  this,  and  more  distant  ports,  the  mail  is  car- 
ried by  mounted  rider  seventy  miles.  To  watch  for 
the  "  postilion  "  is  a  deliciously  antiquated  bit  of  ro- 
mance to  spice  each  day.  After  the  carrier  had  de- 
posited his  budget,  and  the  contents  had  been  sorted, 
the  postmaster  liked  to  chat  with  the  summer  guests, 
and  waxed  garrulous,  sometimes  inquisitive.  He 
asked  what  we  paid  for  board,  probably  pondering 
what  inducements  he  might  offer  to  summer  loiterers 
next  season;  but  each  one  without  collusion  (cxcfept 


we      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


in  hastily  exchanged  glances)  advised  him  to  ask 
Madame,  their  hostess,  to  whom  he  is  related,  as,  in- 
deed, half  the  village  seems  to  be,  most  of  them  bear- 
ing the  same  name.  It  is,  by  the-way,  appropriate 
to  a  region  where  tremhlement-de-terre  is  an  oc- 
casional if  not  frequent  visitor,  and  where  aspens 
(tremblaie)  abound.  An  old  French  novelist  and 
chronicler  of  La  Gaspesie  said :  "  Les  Tremblay  sont 
bien,  j'en  suis  charme;  ce  sont  de  brave  gens,"  an 


A   Wayside   Reminder. 

opinion  with  which  the  Americans  heartily  concurred. 
Mr.  Post-Meridian,  as  the  Scrivener  called  him, 
grew  glib  of  tongue  as  he  boasted  of  place  and  peo- 
ple. He  had  the  audacity  to  inquire  the  ages  of  some 
of  the  "  dames  Americaines,"  being  amazed  that  they 
were  unmarried,  saying  there  were  few  maidens  in 
the  whole  tripartite  village  over  sixteen  who  were  un- 
married ;  he  himself  being  one  of  a  family  of  twenty- 
one  children.  Surveying  one  "  demoiselle "  criti- 
cally, with  head  tipped  sidewise,  like  an  elderly  owl. 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  207 

he  hazarded  the  guess,  "  and  M'lle  is  perhaps 
thirty  ?  "  Though  a  big  hat  covered  some  gray  hairs, 
M'lle  acknowledged  that  such  might  be  the  case,  and 
had  the  temerity  to  add,  "  J'en  ai  plus  que  9a,"  which 
quite  shocked  him.  He  replied,  quite  commiser- 
atingly,  and  in  English,  "  It  ees  dretfle ; "  then,  fear- 
ful of  having  disturbed  the  lady  by  his  frankness,  dis- 
tressed at  having  seemed  impolite,  he  endeavored  to 
make  amends,  and  to  soothe  her  supposed-to-be  lac- 
erated feelings.  Noticing  the  alpenstock  (now  util- 
ized as  staff  of  sketching  umbrella)  which  the  afore- 
said tourist  sometimes  used  in  climbing  the  ravine  to 
her  sojourning  place  he  remarked,  "  Though  you 
are  so  holt  "  (with  playfully  deprecating  gesture) 
"  you  are  not  so  holt  as  to  need  a  staff,"  with  a  tri- 
umphant chuckle  at  his  brilliant  pleasantry. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  colonies,  a  bounty  was 
given  to  young  men  and  girls  under  sixteen  who  mar- 
ried before  they  were  twenty  years  old.  Parents  hav- 
ing more  than  ten  children  received  a  gratuity.  This 
was  revived  in  1890  by  Quebec,  the  provincial  Par- 
liament giving  one  hundred  acres  to  parents  of  twelve 
or  more  children.  There  were  then  two  thousand 
families  entitled  to  this.  In  lower  Canada  there  are 
families  of  twenty-five  and  thirty  children.  Abbe 
Plinquet  was  the  twenty-eighth  child  of  a  family  of 
thirty-five;  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  The 
Church  encourages  early  marriages. 

After  an  unmistakable  sensation  at  the  edge  of  day 
Madame  asked  if  her  guests  were  not  terrified  at  the 


W8      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

"  tremblement-de-terre,"  but  was  assured  that  it  did 
not  agitate  them,  constituting,  as  it  did,  one  of  the 
novelties  which  they  had  come  to  seek.  The  Incor- 
rigible remarked  that  in  such  a  beautiful  spot  and 
such  exhilarating  atmosphere  it  was  natural  for  Na- 
ture to  indulge  in  ebullitions,  but  they  had  no  fear  of 
bouleversement,  although  a  sandy  bluif  not  far  away 
had  been  sliced  down  as  if  by  mortal  implements,  and 
was  imperceptibly  sifting  its  fine  gravel  to  the  level 
land  below.  Madame  "  never  could  get  used  to  it," 
though  it  was  not  so  frequent,  or  by  any  means  so 
heavy,  as  in  the  days  of  her  grandparents. 

Geologists  cite  proofs  of  terrible  convulsions  along 
this  coast,  and  an  ancient  chronicler  tells  of  a  man 
who  "  ran  all  night  to  escape  a  fissure  in  the  earth 
which  chased  him,"  threatening  every  minute  to  en- 
gulf him.  Evidently  he  had  been  imbibing  fire-water, 
and  some  of  it  must  have  been  spilled  in  the  forests, 
as  the  Indians  asseverated  that  the  trees  reeled  as  if 
intoxicated.  This  was  in  1633,  when  those  credulous 
early  settlers  and  narrators, —  who  accepted  unques- 
tioningly  the  preposterous  tales  of  Indians  anent  the 
one-legged  men  of  the  far  North  and  various  hob- 
goblins of  their  mythology, —  told  of  astounding 
spectacles.  A  mountain  was  uprooted  and  cast  upon 
Isle-aux-Coudres,  making  it  half  as  large  as  before ;  a 
terrible  maelstrom  was  formed  in  the  river,  which  tum- 
bled in  angry  surges  "  white  as  milk,"  and  poor  old 
Mother  Earth  was  afflicted  with  ague  fits  from  May  to 
August.     The  whirlpool  of  La  GoufFre,  at  St.  Paul's 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  209 

Bay,  is  said,  has  within  comparatively  few  years  so 
filled  with  sand  as  to  have  lost  its  terrors.  Never- 
theless, "  on  the  up  trip,"  leaving-  Les  Eboulements, 
the  tourists  encountered, —  as  they  had  been  warned 
by  Quebec-ers  they  might, — "  a  longish  bit  of  bad 
water  there,"  when,  wind  and  tide  being  at  variance, 
the  vessel  seemed  to  be  trying  to  climb  mountains. 
At  the  queer  little  landing  stage  at  St.  Paul's  Bay, 
three  separate  attempts  were  made  to  approach  the 
lighthouse.  At  the  first  touch  a  pile  was  scraped  off, 
at  the  second  a  Frenchman  jumped  aboard,  leaving 
his  family  tragically  gesticulating,  evidently  sup- 
posing themselves  deserted  on  that  frightful  minia- 
ture island;  but  the  third  attempt  resulted  in  the 
family  being  reunited  as  the  vessel  sheered  off  and  car- 
ried them  away  rejoicing. 

One  member  of  the  party,  being  a  descendant  of 
an  old  Dutch  family  of  New  York  State,  became 
interested  in  studying  out  the  seigneurial  system,  and 
comparing  it  with  that  of  the  Patroons,  finding  con- 
siderable similarity.  Louis  XIV.,  who  was  called 
"  the  father  of  New  France,"  introduced  into  Canada 
the  seigneurial  system,  which  was  abolished  in  1854. 

Le  Clerc,  in  an  interesting  old  book  on  the  "  Estab- 
lishment of  the  Faith,"  says  that  until  Louis  XIV. 
came  to  the  throne  the  settlers  in  Canada,  including 
those  belonging  to  the  Church,  those  engaged  in  fur- 
trade  and  fisheries,  and  all  other  colonists,  numbered 
only    twenty-five    hundred.     Louis    made    a    regular 


210       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

business  of  sending  out  settlers,  mostly  from  the 
northwestern  provinces  of  France.  Many  of  the 
first  settlers  were  soldiers,  and  officers  were  offered 
considerable  pecuniary  inducement  to  take  up  their 
permanent  abode  in  Canada.  In  1665-'67  strong, 
sturdy  peasant  women  were  sent  out  as  wives  for  the 
soldiers,  and  women  of  higher  rank  as  spouses  for 
the  officers,  and  on  the  man-iages  being  consummated 
the  soldiers  received  presents  of  cattle,  fowls,  money ; 
the  officers  grants  of  land,  and  often  money  also. 

The  land  thus  given  was  almost  invariably  along 
river-courses  or  on  the  coast, —  water-ways  being  the 
highways  of  the  time, — ^and  these  long-drawn-out 
settlements  or  villages,  as  they  became  in  time,  took 
the  name  of  the  Seigneur.  On  the  maps  of  the 
present  time  is  seen  Seigneurie  de  Beaupre,  for 
instance.  These  villages  were  called  Cotes,  "  a  use 
of  the  word  peculiar  to  Canada,  where  it  still  pre- 
vails," as  Parkman  says.  The  proprietor,  or  Seig- 
neur, rented  portions  of  the  land  to  tenants,  generally 
for  trifling  sums,  so  revenues  were  not  large.  These 
portions  extended  in  narrow  strips  from  the  shore 
inland,  so  the  tenant  had  water  privilege,  land  for 
culture  in  the  middle,  and  forest  in  the  rear.  Ten- 
ants ground  their  grain  at  the  moulin  barml,  or  Seig- 
neur's mill,  giving  one-fourteenth  part  in  payment 
for  the  use  of  the  mill.  The  mills  were  built  of  stone, 
with  loop-holes,  in  order  that  they  might  be  used  as 
forts  in  case  of  necessitj^ 


"LAZY  BOOLMONG"  211 

A  peculiar  old  ceremony,  faire  foi  et  hommage,  was 
required  from  vassals  to  Seigneurs  at  certain  inter- 
vals, or  when  a  Seigneury  descended  to  the  next 
heir.  The  vassal  knelt  with  bared  head  before  the 
lord  of  the  manor,  repeating  certain  forms  of  words, 
promising  to  pay  his  dues  at  proper  times,  to  be  loyal 
to  his  lord,  and  asking  his  master  to  accept  his 
pledge  of  faith.  The  Seigneur  himself  was  obliged 
te  repair  to  Quebec  at  stated  times,  there  with  much 
show  of  ceremony  to  renew  his  pledges,  and  swear 
fealty  to  his  king.  A  similar  system  was  in  vogue 
in  New  York,  the  Patroon  being  equivalent  to  the 
French  Seigneur.  The  Dutch  landowner  was  in- 
dulgent and  careless  about  collecting  or  requiring 
payment  of  his  rents,  and  when  at  last  he  demanded 
acknowledgment  of  his  rights,  the  tenants  had  be- 
come independent,  had  imbibed  Republican  ideas, 
and  resisted,  in  some  cases  disguising  themselves  as 
Indians  and  joining  the  savages  in  depredations  from 
a  revengful  spirit  towards  their  Patroon.  The  gov- 
ernment intervened,  the  courts  decided  the  matter,  and 
in  1846  the  feudal  system  was  abolished;  eight  years 
before  Canada  took  the  same  step.  Though  the 
system  was  broken  up  in  1854  a  feeling  of  loyalty 
towards  the  former  lord  of  the  manor  still  lingers 
among  the  cultivateurs  and  habitans.  In  this  season, 
when  a  neighboring  farmer  had  met  with  the  loss  of  a 
barn  by  fire,  he  was  consoled  by  a  message  from  the 
Seigneury  to  the  effect  that  "  he  was  to  come  up," 


212       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

and  "  one  could  tell  what  that  meant,"  as  he  com- 
placently hugged  himself  at  thought  of  the  forth- 
coming present. 

One  member  of  the  summering  company,  being  a 
native  of  France,  was  interested  in  studying  the  status 
of  the  farmer,  and  Belle  Amie  was  surprised  to  learn 
that  he  has  no  interest  in  politics  and  pays  no  taxes, 
although  he  still  tenders  rent  to  the  present  repre- 
sentative of  the  seigneurial  family,  despite  the  fact 
that  he  owns  his  land  himself.  This  is,  however,  vol- 
untary, and  might  be  set  down  on  the  score  of  senti- 
ment, his  father  having  been  one  of  the  original 
Censitaires ;  and  the  sum  is  so  trifling  as  not  to  deplete 
his  revenues.  After  "  the  Conquest "  the  govern- 
ment undertook  to  enforce  English  laws,  but  finally 
the  old  French  law  was  restored.  The  Independents 
asserted  their  opinion  that  instruction  in  English  in 
the  schools  would  have  been  wise  at  least,  might  have 
prevented  race  antagonism  and  prejudice  in  the  pres- 
ent, and  undoubtedly  more  liberal  education  would 
have  been  a  great  enlightenment  and  vast  benefit  to 
these  worthy  people,  who  seem  so  much  "  behind  the 
times."  When  Belle  Amie  also  saw  Monsieur's  boy 
helper  with  pipe  in  mouth  almost  constantly,  and 
*'  wondered  if  the  cure  might  be  asked  to  warn  his 
people  against  the  pernicious  habit,"  she  was  in- 
formed that  the  priest  himself  was  a  "  fumeur." 

French  Canadian  country  houses  are  cool  in  sum- 
mer, warm  and  comfortable  in  winter,  being  built  of 
jnassive  squared  logs,  covered  ofutside  and  ia  with 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  213 

plaster.  The  windows,  always  ponderous  casements, 
have  double  sashes  for  winter.  In  the  cities  these 
outer  sashes  usually  have  one  pane  hinged  to  give 
ventilation.  Such  little  doors  are  known  as  tirette, 
guichety  or  vasistas;  the  latter  name,  however,  cannot 
be  found  in  French  dictionaries.^  In  villages,  where 
the  houses  form  a  crooked  procession  along  one  street, 
«ach  domicile  stands  at  an  angle  from  the  next  so  that 
each  may  face  south;  and  the  northern  ends  or  sides 
have  extra  thickness  of  wall  or  sheathing  of  heavy 
planks,  as  better  protection  for  the  long  winter.  Be- 
yond the  villages  the  farm  lands  are  cut  up  into  nar- 
row strips,  frequently  only  a  few  yards  in  width, 
though  perhaps  almost  a  mile  in  length,  reaching  far 
back  towards  the  hills;  so  the  fields  have  a  curiously 
ribbon-like  and  patch-work  effect.  This  is  because 
the  original  demesne  is  divided  on  the  marriage  of 
the  children,  so  that  each  can  have  a  portion  and 
settle  down  near  the  parents. 

In  the  lovely  long  twilights,  host  and  hostess  gra- 
ciously acceded  to  the  pleadings  of  their  romantic 
guests,  and  entertained  them  in  charming  manner; 
Madame  with  sweet  old  chansons,  to  which  her  fine 
contralto  lent  another  charm,  and  Monsieur  with  a 
strange  history  of  former  sojourners.  This  latter 
came  about  through  queries  as  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  mountain  away  up  beyond  the  village, —  had  they 

1  When  Napoleon  First  invaded  Germany,  the  sound  of  mar- 
tial tramp  brought  people  to  the  windows,  and  one  inquired 
of  his  neighbor,  "  Vas  ist  das?"  The  French  soldiers,  in 
derision,  thereupon  adopted  "vasistas "  as  a  name  for  the 
wicket. 


^14       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

not  seen  it  when  returning  from  Bay  St.  Paul?  — 
obtained  its  name.  Yes,  they  had  seen  also  the  fine 
old  stone  mansion  on  the  heights.  Well,  there  dwelt, 
long  ago,  the  owner  of  the  black  house,  and  when 
he  was  dismantling  it  after  it  was  left  tenantless, 
there,  behind  an  old  firelace,  the  journal  was  found, 
where  it  had  slipped  back  of  the  wainscoting.  "  Oh, 
would  Monsieur  relate  it  ?  "  but  he,  shy  of  his  Eng- 
lish, and  also  of  his  French  before  (supposed-to-be) 
finished  linguists,  hesitated  to  attempt  the  task, 
though  he  consented  if  possible  to  obtain  the  manu- 
script for  their  perusal.  Therefore,  is  it  not  "  here- 
unto appended  .^^  " 


MONT      BLAGOUSE. 

A  journal!  It  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  I 
never  could  keep  one,  and  that  it  has  often  proved 
unwise  in  those  who  have  put  down  in  black  and 
white  their  opinions,  ideas,  or  even  reflections. 
Though  I  shall  not  enter  herein  my  sentimental  mus- 
ings, sacred  aspirations  or  inmost  thoughts,  yet  here, 
where  there  is  no  one  with  whom  I  can  commune,  and 
unutterable  loneliness  overcomes  me  at  times,  the 
fancy  seizes  me  to  jot  down  something  of  my  history, 
as  if  I  were  relating  to  a  friend  from  whom  I  had 
long  been  separated.  Such  a  one  there  is,  my 
guiding  star  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  yet 
that  one  may  never  see  this  "  ower  true  tale." 

Orphaned  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  I  had  only  the 


"LAZY  BOOLMONG"  ^15 

memory  of  my  parents'  inculcations  as  guide,  being 
left  to  a  guardian  of  crusty  and  peculiar  tempera- 
ment, to  whom  was  entrusted  .my  inheritance, — 
whether  this  would  be  much  or  Httle  I  neither  knew 
nor  cared, — 'and  to  him  also  the  supervision  of  my 
education.  My  tastes  were  simple,  my  desires  few, 
and  I  was  left  much  to  myself.  A  taste  for  the  study 
of  botany,  which  I  had  pursued  persistently  during 
my  school  years,  led  me  to  essay  pharmaceutical  re- 
search during  my  college  course,  and  finally  my 
crabbed-seeming  guardian  evinced  considerable  grati- 
fication when  I  graduated  as  a  physician,  and  passed 
several  years  abroad,  where,  in  medical  parlance,  I 
"  walked  the  hospitals."  Being  naturally  reserved, 
given  to  abstraction,  and  preferring  retired  life  if 
not  actual  seclusion,  I  saw  but  little  of  the  world  and 
its  doings,  though  I  could  not  withdraw  entirely  from 
society.  It  was  in  an  exclusive  circle  that  I  met  my 
fate;  a  woman  of  exquisite  sensibilities  and  utmost 
refinement,  yet  whose  generous,  pure,  loving  soul  was 
always  reaching  out  to  help  the  unfortunate,  to  cheer 
the  sorrowing,  to  uplift  despondent  ones.  When  I 
had  been  called  to  attend  a  sufferer  in  a  forlorn  and 
benighted  district  of  the  city,  there  I  found  that 
lovely  being  had  already  appeared,  a  veritable  angel 
of  mercy.  This  was  before  it  became  fashionable  to 
enter  into  charity  work,  and  only  her  own  sweet  spirit 
had  been  the  impelling  power,  I  could  see,  without 
shadow  of  doubt.  From  that  time  I  was  her  devoted 
knight,  her  serf,  her  slave,  if  you  will, —  her  shadow 


216      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

I  might  say ;  and  many  times  protected  her  in  her  ten- 
der ministrations,  though  she  was  all  unaware  of  this. 

I  knew  ere  long  that  there  was  no  hope  for  me. 
Before  two  years  of  our  acquaintance  had  transpired 
I  learned  that  she  would  become  the  bride  of  another, 
who  had  also  figured  in  the  Mission  district.  Even 
before  my  meeting  with  Angiola  (as  I  mentally  called 
her)  I  had  been  constantly  brought  in  contact  with 
this  man;  and  it  seemed  to  me  he  was  posing,  was 
never  off  his  guard,  and  had  always  in  view  some 
ulterior  motive  in  his  apparently  kindly  and  self-sac- 
rificing efforts  to  assist  the  denizens  of  that  region  of 
misery  and  squalor.  I  could  not  account  for  my 
repulsion,  but,  deciding  that  it  was  merely  a  case 
of  Dr.  Fell,  endeavored  to  oust  the  matter  from  my 
thoughts,  while  always  outwardly  maintaining  cour- 
teous demeanor  to  this  individual. 

Years  passed,  and,  though  deeply  engrossed  in  my 
profession,  I  had  means  of  being  posted  as  to  An- 
giola's  life,  and  of  keeping  watch,  though  from  afar ; 
For  Her  Sake  my  watchword.  She  possessed  the 
power  of  bringing  out  the  best  and  noblest  in  those 
with  whom  she  was  brought  in  contact,  inspiring 
them  to  live  on  the  highest  plane.  An  old  song  of 
my  mother's  haunted  me: — 

Altho'  even  hope  is  denied, 
'Tis  sweeter  for  thee  despairing  than  aught  in  the  world  be- 
side; 

but  I  would  not  yield  to  vain  repinings.  Though 
she  was  lost  to  me,  in  one  sense,  my  life  I  felt  had 


"LAZY  BOOLMONG"  217 

been  blessed  in  having  had  her  in  it !  She  had  been, 
and  should  be,  my  life's  beacon.  I  could  not  help 
feeling  that  the  true  character  of  her  consort  would 
be  revealed  some  time;  yet  I  honestly  hoped  that 
she  might  be  spared  such  rude  awakening  from  her 
dream  of  happiness,  and  that  he  too,  for  her  sake^ 
might  be  incited  to  live  his  best.  I  had  resolved,  at 
her  marriage,  to  devote  my  best  endeavors,  my  for- 


Le  Lac  du  Penitent,  village,  and  Mt.  Eboulements,  from  Mont 
Blagouse. 

tune,  to  her  welfare,  and  to  still  stand  guard,  however 
distant  and  although  unknown  to  her. 

One  year  when  I  had  gone  to  France  for  needed 
change, —  although  devoting  the  time  of  my  sojourn 
to  study  there, —  I  learned  from  my  old  guardian 
that  Angiola  had  returned  to  her  former  home,  where 
she  appeared  in  the  sombre  garb  of  widowhood.  She 
had  resumed  her  self-imposed  duties  at  the  mission, 
and  was  almost  worshiped  by  the  people  there,  where 
her  presence  seemed  a  benediction,  her  personality 
that  of  a  veritable  ministering  spirit.  I  had  become 
deeply    interested    in    the    study    of   victims    of   the 


218       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

opium  habit,  and  resolved  to  devote  the  rest  of  my 
life  to  such  sufferers;  hoping  to  help  them  to  fight 
this  insidious  foe,  than  which  Satan  'mid  his  legions 
has  none  more  fiendish. 

One  man  in  particular  interested  me;  friendless, 
homeless,  penniless,  in  a  strange  land.  I  determined 
to  bring  him  back  to  America  with  me,  and  to  see 
what  I  might  possibly  accomplish  in  his  case. 
Though  supposing  Angiola  to  be  free,  I  could  not 
yet  present  myself  to  her;  I  was  solemnly  bound  to 
my  forlorn  charge.  To  this  most  peaceful,  healthful 
spot  we  came,  and,  disregarding  the  attractions  of  the 
village  proper,  the  farms,  the  rivage,  obtained  pos- 
session of  a  small  unpainted  house,  almost  like  a 
tiny  chalet,  under  a  peak  back  of  but  even  higher 
than  the  mountain  on  which  the  church  is  perched. 
Here  wild  mountain  streams  and  pools  and  dense 
woods  seemed  to  invite  and  promise  success  with  rod 
and  reel. 

The  simple-hearted  peasants  seemed  to  think 
nothing  strange  about  us  or  our  proceedings,  though 
my  charge  was  so  weird  and  repulsive  in  appearance ; 
but  virtually  adopted  us  into  their  community. 
They  christened  our  abiding-place  Mont  Blagouse, 
which  is  not  an  Indian  name,  as  one  might  surmise, 
but  testifies  their  heroic  effort  to  articulate  "  black 
house."  Here  I  could  watch  my  charge  hourly,  at- 
tending with  utmost  care  to  his  diet,  enforcing  reg- 
ular exercise  and  much  outdoor  life.  We  tramped, 
fished,  hunted,  rowed. 


«  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  219 

Almost  imperceptibly  a  remarkable  alteration  took 
place  in  his  whole  appearance.  The  leaden,  expres- 
sionless eye  began  to  show  perception  of,  if  not  inter- 
est in,  surroundings ;  the  flesh  to  assume  a  less  corpse- 
like hue;  the  livid  lips  to  take  on  a  faint  semblance 
of  the  tint  of  life ;  and  the  man  at  last  seemed  coming 
to  himself.  These  changes  had  been  so  gradual  that 
I  did  not  realize  what  was  taking  place;  it  was  with 
a  great  shock  at  last  that  a  suggestion  of  his  resem- 
blance to  some  one  I  had  seen  came  to  me,  and,  in 
time,  deepened  into  conviction. 

Nothing  can  so  utterly  metamorphose  a  human  be- 
ing as  slavery  to  this  damnable  drug,  which  insidi- 
ously welds  its  fetters,  and  imperceptibly  corrodes  the 
moral  nature  as  it  undermines  the  vitals,  killing  body 
and  soul  at  the  same  time.  When  at  last  the  wretched 
victim  had  taken  on  a  more  human  semblance,  though 
but  the  wreck,  the  shadow,  of  his  former  self,  he  con- 
fessed to  me  all,  metaphorically  groveling  in  the 
dust  at  my  feet. 

Yes,  he  had  acquired  the  despicable  habit  long 
ago;  at  first,  in  curiosity,  had  tried  the  effect  of 
small  amounts  of  hasheesh,  chloral,  and  finally  the 
deadly  drug.  He  had  received  superficial  education ; 
these  experiments  at  first  were  meant  to  "  sharpen 
his  wits,"  to  make  him  appear  brilliant  in  the  society 
in  which  he  aspired  to  shine;  to  assist  him  in  the 
work  as  a  reporter  (for  a  third-rate  paper)  which 
he  had  undertaken  to  eke  out  his  slender  means.  He 
had  married   for  money;   had   dissipated  his   wife's 


^W      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

fortune,  excepting  a  small  part  which  had  been  settled 
on  her  in  such  a  manner  that  he  could  not  touch  it, 
and  then  had  deserted  her.  How  he  had  lived  since 
he  could  not  say,  though  he  recalled  life  at  noted 
gambling  resorts  abroad.  (How  thankful  I  was  that 
he  did  not  mention  his  wife's  name ;  I  could  not  have 
endured  that!) 

Now,  though  one  heavenly  spark  had  been  rekin- 
dled in  him,  and  he  wondered  if  it  might  be  possible 
for  him  to  retrieve  his  wretched  past  by  undertaking 
a  crusade  against  this  indescribably  awful  dragon, 
he  realized  that  physical  and  brain  power  had  been 
too  severely  taxed  to  permit  of  such  work.  The  ap- 
parent brightening  of  the  candle  was  only  premoni- 
tory of  its  last  gleam.  He  could  see  how  it  had  all 
come  about;  unwise  parental  care,  without  religious 
influence,  had  permitted  him  to  grow  up  willful, 
selfish,  self-indulgent.  He  had  "  sufi^ered  the  tor- 
tures of  the  deepest  depths  of  Hades,"  and  none  more 
appalling  than  to  realize  how  willfully  and  wickedly 
he  had  thrown  away  his  life,  and  jeopardized  his  soul. 
He  entreated  me  to  go  on  with  my  work,  instancing 
his  own  case  as  proof  of  what  might  be  done  before 
the  miserable  votaries  of  the  modern  non-mytholog- 
ical Morpheus  were  so  far  gone  as  he ;  "  while  they 
could  yet  be  convinced  of  the  terrible  penance  which 
would  be  exacted ; "  and  then,  invoking  blessings  on 
"  his  brother  of  St.  Andrew,"  he  grasped  my  hands, 
and  closed  the  weary  eyes  which  never  opened  again. 

By  means  of  Angiola's  acquaintance  with  my  for- 


"LAZY  BOOLMONG"  221 

mer  guardian,  who  had  care  of  her  small  patrimony 
(and  who,  by  the  way,  had  of  late  years  quite  over- 
come his  crustiness),  I  had  managed  to  put  myself 
in  communication  with  her,  and  we  had  corresponded 
for  a  long  time.  Old  Crusty  had  informed  her  of 
the  death  of  her  recreant  husband,  but  not  of  my 
knowledge  of  or  connection  with  his  case;  and  now  I 
am  preparing  to  pull  up  stakes  and  leave  this 
beauteous  spot,  and  return  to  my  former  home,  my 
professional  work,  and  —  and  —  yes,  the  postilion 
has  just  gone  by  and  brought  me  a  missive —  (who 
would  have  thought  him  a  messenger  of  love?)  — 
giving  me  permission  also  to  return  For  Her  Sake. 
Frances  Helena  Shelby;  the  initials  shall  remain  the 
same,  but  the  last  one  shall  stand  for  Southmoor! 

Owing  to  the  obstacle  which  Isle-aux-Coudres  pre- 
sents, the  river  here  forms  two  channels,  the  wider 
and  deeper  one  being  near  the  south  shore,  where 
ocean  steamships  pass  up  and  down.  At  the  turn 
of  the  tide  la  bruit  de  mer  is  distinct,  when  the  stream 
seems  to  double  on  its  course  and  flow  backward. 
Such  has  been  the  erosion  of  this  strong  current, 
during  the  past  thirty  years,  that  the  site  of  the 
first  settlement  is  now  half  a  mile  from  shore,  while 
the  river  has  "  made  land "  at  other  points.  The 
original  church  stood  near  the  outlet  of  the  mill- 
stream,  where  still  stand  huge  Lombardy  poplars, 
planted  by  the  first  settlers.  It  has  been  said  that 
every  kind  of  poplar  excepting  this  could  be  grown 
from  a  twig;  but  at  the  outlet  of  Saratoga  lake,  in 


TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

1783,  a  young  equestrian,  who  was  visiting  his  in- 
amorata, stuck  into  the  ground  such  a  twig,  which 
he  had  used  as  a  riding-whip.  It  grew  to  immense 
size,  and  has  only  very  recently  succumbed  to  time 
and  storms. 

The  name  which  the  present  church,  on  the  moun- 
tain, bears  was  given  because  of  a  tradition  that  at 
the  time  when  an  English  regiment  attempted  to  take 
the  place,  "  Our  Lady  "  sent  a  transcendently  beauti- 
ful angel  to  guard  the  sacred  building,  and  the 
white  floating  figure  with  outspread  wings  caused  the 
invaders  to  flee  incontinently !  In  that  same  tiny 
ecclesiastic  edifice,  in  those  ancient  times,  when  it  was 
diflicult  to  obtain  oil  even  for  the  church,  la  lumiere 
perpetuelUy  before  the  altar  was  provided  by  means 
of  a  suspended  bottle  (which  had  held  the  sacramental 
wine)  in  which  fire-flies  were  imprisoned;  a  bit  of  lace 
from  the  veil  of  the  statuette  of  the  Virgin  being 
tied  over  the  mouth,  preventing  the  escape  of  "  les 
mouches  luisantes." 

A  propos  des  lampes:  Scrivener  triumphantly  dis- 
played an  antique  bought  from  an  aged  resident  of 
this  locality,  consisting  of  two  ladle-like  cups  (hung 
one  above  another),  in  which  whale-oil  was  burned; 
the  lower  one  intended  to  catch  the  drippings,  though 
either  could  be  used  separately  to  carry  about  the 
house.  (When  resting  beneath  the  fine  cliffs  of  Cap 
Martin  after  a  long  tramp,  the  strangers  had 
watched  the  white  whales  —  Beluga  borealis  of  the 
Saguenay  —  disporting     themselves     only     a     good 


Oi  K  Lady  of  the  Clouds. 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  223 

stone's  throw  from  shore. )  The  iron  cups  of  the  an- 
cient lamp  were  also  used  by  hunters  to  melt  lead  for 
bullets,  this  one  bearing  evidence  of  such  usage.  In 
this  season  one  part  of  such  a  lamp,  broken  and 
battered,  was  dug  up  in  a  suburb  of  Quebec,  where 
it  is  supposed  to  have  been  buried  since  1760.  While 
warbling  Moore's  old  song  Scrivener  was  seen  at- 
taching to  "  the  find  "  as  label : — 


i 


:s=k: 


i 


The  light  of       other  days." 

Madame,  singing  while  engaged  in  household  af- 
fairs, quite  startled  the  Scrivener  one  day  as  an  old 
chanson  fell  from  her  lips;  the  very  same  air  which 
that  person  had  jotted  down  when  Eva  Melan9on 
sang  it  at  St.  Mary's  Bay  in  Nova  Scotia  years  ago. 
Thus,  while  the  Insatiable  added  to  mems.  and  es- 
sayed a  translation,  Madame  imparted  the  informa- 
tion that  among  the  nautical  French  Acadians,  and 
the  French  Canadians,  there  is  considerable  inter- 
course, and  so  the  old  melodies  are  not  altogether 
lost. 

Madame  was  persuaded  to  teach  "  les  demoiselles  " 
quaint  old  chansons,  not  to  be  found  in  print,  ren- 
dering them  in  charming  manner  in  her  fine  mellow 
voice,  and  thus  the  strangers  secured  invaluable 
souvenirs,  every  note  of  which  should  in  after  years 
recall  a  most  satisfactory  sojourn  among  these  art- 
less, gentle-spirited  habitans. 


^m       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


LES  PERLES  ET  LES  ETOILES. 

Andante. 


3 


^^m 


^^ 


5tr3: 


1.  Com-  me  les  perles  et    les   ^toiles    Or-  nent  d6  -  ii     Ic 

2.  Sur    un  souppon    tu   t'es   enfuie    Je  pleure  h^  Lbs  ton 


i 


i 


^ 


A N- 


3=* 


^ 


i 


r-i — w- 

front  des  cieux,  La  nuit    6  -  tend    ;>ar  toat  son  voile  Elle 
a  •   iMin-don    Par    un    bai-ser      je   t'en    sapplie  Viens 

-I 


^^ 


S=i: 


vient  d^  -  ji       fermer    mes  yieixr,  Revien  -  dra    tu    dans 


•:l 


m'ac-cor-der      un  doox    pardon.  Oh,  crois  le   bien    ma 


fc* 


R==ts: 


1 


•i^h-^i;  ji-  i 


xm    doux  songe,  O    mon  bel  an^e,  toi    que    j' adore    Me 
bonne  a  -  mie  Pour  te     re  -  voir,    oh,  oui    un  jour,   Je 


i 


^ 


9 


I  J-  ^l^..^  J.  I'\14 


t6  -  p4-ter  divers  mensonges,*Me  r^p^ter  "je  t'aime  encorel" 
donnerais   toute  ma    vie   Je  donnerais  tous  me9  amoursi 


PEARLS  AND  STARS. 

When  night  o'er  all  the  heavens  deep 
Throws  wide  her  veil,  with  gems  bespread ; 
When  softly  falls  the  boon  of  sleep. 
And  into  dreamland  I  am  led; 

Ah,  then,  my  love,  a  vision  dear 
(The  beauteous  angel  I  adore!) 


* "  Mensonges,"    falsehoods;   the   pleasing   prevarications,   or 
pretty  fibs  to  which  lovers  are  addicted  (?). 


"  LAZY  BOOLMONG  " 


^5 


Comes  at  my  will,  speaks  in  my  ear, 
"Ah,  dearest,  could  I  love  thee  more?" 

I  welcome  not  the  light  of  dawn. 
For  then,  alas !  my  bird  has  flo'Cvn, 
That  gracious  presence  will  have  gone 
(Ah,  one  embrace,  my  love,  my  own!) 
Oh,  then,  believe,  my  darling  one, 
For  thee  I  long,  yes,  day  by  day. 
For  thee  the  world  I'd  gladly  shun. 
And  never  from  thy  side  would  stray. 


CEQLiA. 


^r-^- 


p^tett 


^^. 


1.  Men  per'n'a- vait         fil-le   que  moi,  Mon  pSr'n'a-vait 

1.  To  make  our  living     from    the    sea,  My       cruel  father 

2.  Le  mar- in  -  ier         qui  m'y  menait,  Le    mar- in-  ier 
2.  But    ev'ry     day    there  meets  me  there,  A  sailor   young 


fill  -  le  que  moi,  En-coresur   la   mer    il    m'envoie, 

send  -  eth       me,  Yes,    ev'  ry    day,  whate'  er  my  wish, 

qui  m'y   menait  II     dev'int    a  -  moureux  de    moi 

and  d^b  -  o  -  nair,  And  he   so  fond-  ly  begs,  "One  kiss, 


$ 


^ 


^-i_^^  R_& 


tr. 


1?=:?^ 


*^3t 


^r-.j^ 


Mon  coeur  est  en  §,  -  ge.  Tant  d'amans  qui  se 
I  must  go  to  catch  the  fish,  His  on  -  ly  child,  C6- 
A  -  moureux  de  moi  *'Ma  mignonette  em- 
Dar-  ling,  you  will  nev  -  er       miss,      On  -  ly  one,     C^ 


Q§z 


I 


w^. 


s^^^rr^ 


¥& 


font   I'a  -  mour      Et     moi   je  m'en     pas  -     sel 
dl    -    ia;    A  •  las      for   me,   C^  -   cil    -    iai 

bras-  sez-  moi,  Ma  mig  -  nohette    em-brassez-  moi.'' 
cil      •      ia;       Ah,   pray  do,    C€  -  cil    -    iaI" 


^26       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

3.  Nenni,  Monsieur,  je  n'oserais, 
Nenni,  Monsieur,  je  n'oserais. 
Car  si  mon  papa  le  savait. 
Papa  le  savait, 

Fille  battue  ce  serait  moi, 
Fille  battue  ce  serait  moi. 

4.  Voulez-vous  bell'  qui  lui  dirait? 
Voulez-vous  beir  qui  lui  dirait? 
Ce  serait  les  oiseaux  des  bois, 
Les  oiseaux  des  bois, 

Sautez,  mignonne  C6cilia, 
Sautez,  mignonne  Cecilia. 

6.  Ce  serait  les  oiseaux  des  bois, 
Ce  serait  les  oiseaux  des  bois, 
Les  oiseaux  des  parlent-ils? 
Des  parlent-ils? 
Sautez,  mignonne  Cecilia, 
Sautez,  mignonne  Cecilia. 

6.  Les  oiseaux  parlent-ils? 
Les  oiseaux  parlent-ils? 

lis  parPnt  fran^ais,  latin  aussi, 
Latin  aussi. 

Sautez,  mignonne  C6cilia, 
Sautez,  mignonne  Cecilia. 

7.  lis  parl'nt  fran^ais,  latin  aussi, 
lis  parl'nt  fran(;ais,  latin  aussi, 
Helas!  que  le  monde  est  malin 
D'apprendre  aux  oiseau,  le  latin. 
Sautez,  mignonne  C6cilia, 
Sautez,  mignonne  Cecilia. 

3.  Ah,  no,  my  friend,  that  could  not  be, 
I  should  not  dare,  e'en  on  the  sea; 
My  father  would  be  sure  to  know 
And  would  give  full  many  a  blow 
To  his  poor  girl,  Cecilia, 

His  only  child,  Cecilia. 

4.  But  we  are  many  miles  away. 

How  could  he  know,  then  tell  me,  pray. 
Alas,  the  birds  would  tell  the  tale. 
They  carry  news  and  never  fail. 
Then,  ah,  poor  me,  Cecilia, 
So  sad  would  be  Cecilia. 


«  LAZY  BOOLMONG  "  227 

5.  Ah,  but  the  birds  they  cannot  speak. 
They  are  gentle,  sweet  and  meek; 
Oh,  they  would  never  serve  us  so; 
This,  my  dearest,  you  must  know; 
Then  pity  take  on  me,  I  pray. 
Make  this  for  me  a  happy  day. 

6.  Ah,  yes,  the  birds,  it  is  well  known. 
Flying  forth  from  zone  to  zone, 
Learn  the  tongue  of  many  climes, 
Now  speak  French,  Latin  at  times. 
Ah,  sad  am  I,  Cecilia, 

What  shall  I  do,  Cecilia? 

7.  If,  as  you  say,  this  is  the  case. 

And  this  fair  world  has  grown  so  base. 
Pray,  tell  me  what  then  should  be  done 
To  him  who  taught  the  Latin  tongue 
To  little  birds,  I  tho't  so  true. 
Yet  thus  would  drive  me  far  from  you. 

Note. —  In  Canada  at  the  present  time  one  hears  five  ver- 
sions of  this  song,  varying  in  melody  and  refrain,  though  the 
words  are  the  same.  This  version  is  heard  "  down  on  the 
Gulf,"  and  seems  more  like  the  old  original  as  it  was  sung  at 
St.  Malo.  Repetition  makes  all  the  oldest  French  Canadian 
songs  monotonous — "nine  verses  being  required  for  what 
could  be  told  in  three,"  as  Moore  said.  In  this  translation  I 
have  arranged  several  lines  to  a  verse. 


ROCK   FORT 


229 


ROCK   FORT 

BIDDING     defiance    to    Tradition,     snapping 
fingers   in   scorn    of   Superstition,   the    Sum- 
merers  declared  that  they  might,  could,  would 
and  should  number  Thirteen.     The  Sage  took  out 
his  note-book  and  calculated :  — 

One  out  of  200  who  are  10  years  of  age. 
One  out  of  129  who  are  20  years  of  age, 
One  out  of     78  who  are  40  years  of  age. 
One  out  of     33  who  are  60  years  of  age, 
One  out  of     13  who  are  73^/2  years  of  age,  may 
die  within  the  year.     "  Therefore  you  see,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  it  is  not  likely,   according  to  the  law  of 
nature,  that  one  out  of  a  party  of  thirteen  will  die 
within  one  year,  unless  the  average  age  of  the  com- 
pany should  be  seventy-three  and   one-half  years." 
As  the  proposed  company  of  tourists  were  consider- 
ably on  the  right  side  of  that  dangerous  age,  they 
breathed  freely,  and  were,  of  course,  immensely  re- 
lieved. 

The  ages  of  the  company  ranged  from  sixteen  to 
sixty,  and  grave  and  reverend  seigniors  figured 
among  them;  yet  in  a  long  sojourn  on  Bay  Chaleur, 
in  a  preceding  season,  it  had  been  decided  by  their 
fellowguests  at  the  hotel,  that  the  "  Americans  "  were 


ROCK  FORT  S3S 

a  summer  school!  The  Co-Eds  were  not  averse  to 
carrying  out  the  joke;  and,  having  decided  to  emu- 
late a  traveler  of  ancient  times  and  establish  them- 
selves "  in  their  own  hired  house,"  when  opportunity 
offered  of  securing  one  of  two  adjoining  houses  in 
which  a  school  was  conducted  in  winter,  nothing 
could  have  been  more  suitable  or  appropriate. 

An  English  cousin,  resident  of  Canada,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  Modem  Athens  at  the  time  of 
departure,  mischievously  took  upon  himself  the  office 
of  showman,  and  as  the  train  whizzed  through  New 
England  announced :  "  This,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen, 
is  the  land  of  the  Iwantoknows,  a  curious  people  of 
inquiring  minds,  in  whom,  however,  I  take  an  interest. 
'  I  want  to  know ! '  '  Do  tell ! '  '  Let  me  see ! '  are 
favorite  expressions  of  theirs."  Then,  rapidly  illus- 
trating with  pencil  and  paper,  he  added :  "  Behold 
how  the  houses  and  even  the  church  spires  are  built 
on  the  model  of  a  spy-glass,  drawn  out  inquisitively, 
and  the  letters  beneath  the  weather-vanes  spell 
'  NEWS.'  " 

When  the  solemn  conclave  had  been  held  to  decide 
"  Whither.?  "  the  Independents,  longing  for  realms  in 
which  Canis  Major  would  not  hold  such  arbitrary 
sway,  (though  warned  that  to  find  such  region  would 
prove  a  Sirius  matter),  exclaimed  in  chorus,  "  Ursa 
Major  be  our  guide,  Boreas  our  friend!  "  Therefore 
it  was  decided  that  their  destination  should  be  the 
point  where  the  Gray  Lady  of  the  North  sits  en- 
throned; there  they  would  carry  out  the  illusion  of 


234      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

residence  in  a  foreign  country,  and  could  study  at 
their  leisure  the  quaint  town  in  all  its  phases,  se- 
curing such  bits  for  pen,  pencil,  brush,  as  escape  the 
eye  of  the  general  tourist.  Some  of  these  latter 
sightseers  were  dubbed  Cookies  by  the  naughty 
scholars ;  who,  when  they  did  not  scorn,  commiserated 
the  wholesale  manner  in  which  these  so-called  pleas- 
ure-seekers were  "  doing  "  the  place ;  wearing  an  air 
of  stem  adherence  to  duty,  resignation  to  grim  Fate, 
or  absolute  boredom  as  they  were  put  through  the 
regular  routine.  How  flat  one  must  feel  on  having 
cocher  stop  in  front  of  a  commonplace  modern  resi- 
dence, on  the  site  of  a  quaint  historic  house !  "  If 
one  could  only  procure  at  that  spot  even  a  picture  of 
the  ancient  dwelling  "  (which  many  of  the  pupils  re- 
membered not  so  many  years  ago)  "there  would  be 
some  sense  in  it,"  said  Cynicus. 

The  funny,  tiny  shops  at  either  side  of  the  Break- 
neck stairs  have  vanished,  with  many  other  queer  bits 
and  odd  comers,  as  well  as  the  latest  of  even  the  old 
gates;  but  one  rejoiced  at  finding  still  standing  a 
"  one-story  house  with  a  three-story  roof,"  as  well 
as  one  "  cut  bias,"  as  a  Student  irrelevantly  remarked. 
The  Students  found  measureless  store  for  delving 
into  the  French  and  English  libraries;  the  Dabblers 
inexhaustible  treasures  in  their  meanderings,  and  the 
Scrivener  went  about  with  perpetually  ebonized 
finger-tips,  fairly  bristling  with  notes  and  mems., 
wearing  the  air  of  a  sage  of  seventy. 

Down  below  their  dwelling,  in   a  queer,   crooked 


ROCK  FORT  235 

little   lane,   they   could   easily   have   imagined  them- 
selves transported  into  a  by-way  of  an  Italian  town. 
Overhead    hung    clothes-lines    from    which    fluttered 
gay  chintz  coverlets  and  red  shirts.     Lively  black- 
eyed  urchins  became  the  self -constituted  gallants  and 
guardians  of  the  Dabblers  when  they  attempted  to 
transfer  to   paper  a   semblance   of  the  queer  lane. 
Ramshackle  stairways  leading  to  sagging  balconies, 
bridges  flung  across  to  the  shoulder  of  the  cliffy,  were 
overtopped  by  odd  windows  of  ancient  warehouses, 
which  looked  down  like  brooding  owls,  their  long  un- 
used   pulleys    protected    by    scoop-like    bonnets    of 
roofing.     When  "  Fleurie,"  the  Rogue,  became  too 
inquisitive  regarding  the  manipulation  of  brushes  and 
colors,  his  companions  swooped  down,  ran  him  into 
one  of  the  woodsheds  under  the  cliff",  and  called  dire 
threats  through  the  keyhole.     The  country  woman 
with  her  baskets,  when  asked  to  pose  by  the  Clipper 
(who  has  a  proclivity  for  silhouettes),  readily  con- 
sented, and  indulged  in  clumsy  banter  and  elephan- 
tine pleasantries  with  the  baker  as  he  passed  along; 
stating  that  the  "  Bostonnais  "  would  send  her  pic- 
ture to  some  paper!     When  presented  with  a  dupli- 
cate silhouette,  she  inquired,  "  What  is  to  pay.?  "  and 
was  overcome  with  surprise  at  seeing  herself,  in  pro- 
file, in  the  tiny  black  cutting.     When  Fleurie,  all  in 
Sunday  best,   recognized  the   strangers  a   few   days 
later,  his  black  eyes  danced,  and,  proud  of  his  Eng- 
lish,  he   exclaimed,   "  You   come   down   Sous-le-Cap, 
make  more  -pikchah?  '* 


2S6      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Far  along  the  "  Cove  Road  "  is  a  straggling,  ram- 
bling stairway  which  climbs  the  bluffs  to  the  plains; 
and  the  scholars  dubbed  it  "  L'escalier  de  I'annee," 
though  it  gives  you  more  than  "  a  step  for  every  day 
in  the  year."  Near  the  base  is  a  row  of  tumble-down 
buildings  which  seem  to  shoulder  each  other  like  ine- 
briates, their  sagging  walls  shored  up  with  great 
beams,  their  curving  roofs  moss-grown.  Here  the 
ubiquitous  urchin  still  followed,  and  volunteered 
advice  and  suggestion.  Near  the  foot  of  this  long 
stairway,  on  the  water  side  of  the  shore  road,  is  the 
Skandinaviske  Kirke,  where,  no  doubt,  the  Norse 
sailors  and  lumbermen  come  to  attend  service.  The 
Incorrigible  declared  that  the  embroidered  inscription 
over  the  reading  desk  would  almost  cause  strabismus, 
as  one  read,  and  lock-jaw,  as  one  attempted  to  pro- 
nounce it  — "  Gud  til  Are  og  os  til  Oplyggelse  Vor- 
der  Ordets  Gjorere  og  ikke  alene  dets  Horere."  In 
this  quarter  the  nautical  population  huddles,  'long- 
shore, and  little  Polly  Voo  is  generally  absent.  It 
was  a  youthful  Celt  who  entreated,  "  Oh,  doant  make 
peekchures  o'  thim  ould  houses ;  come  down  beyant ; 
Pat  Murphy  has  got  a  f  oine  house  there,  all  new  an' 
purty." 

In  the  markets  there  are  feasts  of  color,  and  inter- 
esting character  studies.  A  large  bouquet  of  bright 
blossoms  can  be  bought  for  a  few  pence,  vegetables 
and  fruits  are  as  gorgeous  as  if  the  wealth  of  India 
had  been  poured  out  on  the  wide  planks,  or  heaped 


ROCK  FORT  237 

on  benches,  boxes,  baskets,  where  farmers  and  their 
wives  sit  placidly  beaming;  sometimes  nodding  over 
their  depleted  stock,  for  they  have  traveled  many 
"  arpents  "  at  unearthly  hours  to  get  to  "  iT^bec." 
Those  are  surely  the  very  same  people  one  saw  at  the 
earliest  of  many  visits,  and  the  scene  is  unchanged. 
From  the  becoming  shadow  of  big  wide-brimmed 
straw  hats,  the  kindly  countenances  of  the  market- 
women  look  out,  and  agreeable  voices  ask,  "  Will 
Madame  have  fish,  flesh,  fowl  or  fruit?  "  Here  is  a 
wagon  in  which  the  large  chapeaux-de-pailles  are  of- 
fered for  sale,  and  one  pictures  mentally  the  scene,  in 
some  distant  steep-roofed  wide-eaved  farmhouse, 
where  matron  and  maids  plait  the  braids,  and  fashion 
such  headgear.  A  purchaser  discussed  with  a  neigh- 
bor the  fowl  she  had  procured  for  Sunday's  repast, 
punching  and  poking  the  flesh  of  the  bird  as  she 
talked,  and  Jacques  marched  off^  with  a  porcine  speci- 
men bagged  and  slung  over  his  shoulder,  ear-racking 
protests  issuing  from  the  animal  meanwhile.  On 
trays,  most  remarkable  pats,  dabs,  blobs  were  dis- 
played for  sale;  some  of  puttyish  consistency  and 
hue,  others  colored  a  sickly  purple ;  what  could  it  be  ? 
"  C'est  le  veritable  gomme  d'epinette,"  prepared  by 
the  habitans,  and  colored  with  poke-berry  juice,  prob- 
ably. Could  it  be  that  from  the  simple  folk  those 
sharp  Yankees  learned  to  compound  what  they  call 
chewing-gum?  Their  concoction,  composed  of  lard, 
fats,  resin,  paraffine,  and  other  objectionable  masti- 


238       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

cables,  is  even  more  deleterious  than  this,  though  the 
chewing  habit  is  as  disgusting  and  injurious  in  either 
case.^ 

Scrivener,  musing  aloud,  entered  into  the  conver- 
sation with  the  remark :  "  Boss,  an  architectural  or- 
nament, a  protuberance,  something  rising  above  and 
dominating  surrounding  regions ;  hence  the  slang 
term  for  a  petty  director  or  second-rate  ruler. 
Ergo,  the  famous  hot-bed  of  isms  and  osophies  con- 
siders herself  the  Boss  town  of  the  United  States,  if 
not  of  the  world.  Why  should  she  not  obtain  points 
from  this  side  of  the  Border?  She  thinks  she  was 
the  originator  of  a  peculiar  fallacy,  yet  just  below 
us  is  that  noted  place  of  pilgrimage,  St.  Anne's, 
which  is  at  least  an  illustration  of  '  mental  science,' 
'  Christian  science,'  '  metaphysical  healing,'  if  it  was 
not  the  original  *  faith  cure.'  Of  course  every  one 
knows  that  each  of  these  is  the  only  and  true  one, 
and  that  one  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  other; 
notwithstanding  the  similarity  of  peas  in  one  pod !  " 

Jacques  Bonhomme  and  wife  came  regularly  to  the 
School;  he  for  the  laundry,  she  to  sweep  and  clean; 
and  when  the  artless  peasant  was  requested  to  meas- 
ure a  doorway,  and  to  bring  cotelan  in  certain  quan- 
tity and  coloring, —  to  be  used  as  portiere  in  the 
country  residence  of  one  of  the  party, —  he  could  not 


1  In  Maine,  many  years  ago,  spruce  gum  brought  from  $150 
to  $180  per  bbl.  (about  170  lbs.)  according  to  quality;  owing 
to  destruction  of  trees,  and  greater  scarcity  now,  probably  the 
price  is  advanced.  The  Mexican  "chicle"  (chickly)  is  now 
largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of  "chewing-gum.'* 


ROCK  FORT 

jfind  words  to  express  his  amazement,  and  evidently 
thought  he  had  got  into  a  private  lunatic  asylum. 
Some  of  the  people  call  this  fabric  "  catalaun,"  and 
it  is  possible  that  they  thus  would  honor  Cata- 
laughn,  who  "  came  out "  among  the  early  settlers, 
and  who  jotted  down  his  observations  on  country  and 
people  interestingly,  as  one  can  see  in  the  libraries. 
"  They  say  "  he  initiated  the  people  in  certain  simple 
arts,  and  he  might  have  been  instructor  in  the  manu- 
facture of  this  form  of  rag-carpet.  It  is  more  prob- 
able that  the  name  is  a  corruption  of  coton-et-laine, 
although  the  material  is  not  always  of  cotton  and 
wool.  In  the  houses  of  well-to-do  farmers,  cotton  or 
linen  counterpanes  are  woven  in  this  manner,  and 
look  as  if  they  would  last  for  ages.  Formerly  the 
French  people  and  Indians  made  from  roots  and  bark 
the  beautiful  dyes  which  they  used;  but  now  aniline 
and  other  manufactured  stains  have  crept  in.  Thus 
the  "  Yenghis,"  as  "  les  sauvages "  call  them,  are 
profiting,  but  to  the  detriment  of  the  naturally  good 
color-sense,  in  harmony  of  hues,  possessed  by  the 
natives. 

Cynicus  chimed  in  with  dissertations  on  similar 
lines,  asserting,  "  We  run  this  town,  their  hotels  and 
transportation  lines.  The  shops  are  full  of  our 
goods,  and  on  the  souvenir  jewelry  I  can  show  you 
the  private  mark  of  the  manufacturers  in  North  At- 
tleboro,  Mass.^     For  curios  and  antiques  ^   a  much 


iln   May,    1902,   the   first   instalment   of   40,000   coronation 
medals  was  sent  to  London  from  Attleboro,  Mass. 

2  A  former  dealer  exhibited  with  pride  to  the  writer  "  bar- 


UO      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

higher  price  is  demanded  than  finer  specimens  bring  in 
the  States,  while  as  to  furs  you  might  learn  a  thing 
or  two.  That  coney-fur-ous  wrap  for  which  you've 
been  pining  could  be  procured  to  equal  advantage 
at  home  and  no  bother  about  customs  duties.  If  the 
pest  of  Australia,  as  well  as  our  half -wild  animals, 
(even  Felis  mephitis),  when  their  pelts  have  been 
dressed,  are  glorified  as  martin,  mink,  seal  and  sable, 
it  shows,  as  Barnum  said,  how  people  like  to  be  hum- 
bugged. Scrivener  assented  to  this,  and  remarked 
that  tourists  purchase  (for  absurd  price)  at  our  own 
and  foreign  exhibitions,  and  in  bazaars  of  our 
Western  cities,  so-called  "  Oriental  amethyst  and 
ruby,"  "  smoky  sapphire,'*  opal,  moonstone,  aqua- 
marine, which  are  all  made  of  a  German  composition 
known  as  strass ;  whereas  by  applying  to  our  well- 
known  lapidaries  they  could  obtain  genuine  and  very 
beautiful  tourmalines  and  other  semi-precious  stones, 
which  are  found  in  several  of  the  States. 

Returning  from  a  prowl  in  distant  quarters  of  the 
Lower  Town,  the  demure  little  scholars,  desiring 
fruit,  stopped  at  another  market.  A  woman  in  the 
usual  habitan's  costume, —  standing  with  arms 
akimbo  and  apparently  gazing  into  space  in  dreamy 
mood, —  was  addressed  in  well-chosen  language  by  a 
meek  feminine,  whereupon  Madame's  head  was  turned, 
and  reply  flung  over  her  shoulder  in  this  wise: 
"  Doant  talk  Frinch  to  me !     Doant  ye  see  I'm  no 


nacles "  which  had  once  fettered  a  noted  criminal,  and  a 
"  myhonian  'arp,"  a  stringed  box  on  which  -^olus  breathed  sad, 
mysterious  notes. 


ROCK  FORT  £41 

habbython?  No,  I'm  Irish.  Yes,  and  worse  nor 
that,  I'm  from  Connaught.  Did  ye  niver  hear  the 
sayin',  '  Connaught  or  h  —  1 '  ?  "  "  This,  to  say  the 
least,  was  starthng;  but  the  seeming  virago  wheeled 
suddenly,  with  a  hearty  laugh,  on  discovering  that 
she  had  not  quite  frightened  her  interlocutor  out  of 
her  wits,  and  was  ready  to  serve  the  customer 
graciously. 

At  one  of  the  stalls  fine  large  deep-sea  fish,  as 
well  as  salmon  and  lake  specimens,  were  to  be  seen, 
and  the  Marchand  des  Poissons  pretended  to  be  hor- 
rified when  a  mischievous  Scholar  told  the  Marble- 
header's  yam  about  how  the  haddock  obtained  its 
name.  The  old  innocent's  attention  was  thus  en- 
gaged while  a  camera  caught  him,  as  he  listened  to 
the  (of  course)  choice  French  which  told  that  His 
Satanic  Majesty  had  for  a  long  time  been  "after" 
that  particular  piscatorial  specimen,  but  it  eluded  him, 
and  when  at  last  the  huge  hand  closed  over  the  fish, 
finger  and  thumb  caused  the  black  stripe  down  his 
sides,  as  the  De'il  remarked,  "  Hey,  Duke,  I  got 
ye!" 

Philadelphians  have  always  felt  interest  in  the  do- 
main of  Acadia,  the  vast  region  extending  from  that 
city  to  Montreal,  which  was  granted  to  Pierre  du 
Guast,  Sieur  de  Monts,  in  1604.  Some  of  the  ban- 
ished Acadians  were  befriended  by  the  French 
Quaker,  Anthony  Benezet,  and  found  a  haven  of  rest 
in  the  City  of  Penn.  In  some  of  the  oldest  ceme- 
teries there  they  are  interred.     Some  of  the  Scholars 


242       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

began  their  Canadian  investigations  in  Acadia  years 
ago ;  and  it  had  so  chanced  that  in  this  and  preceding 
seasons  they  had  to  some  extent  followed  in  the  wake 
of  the  banished  "  Neutrals  "  when  they  drifted  back 
into  the  Provinces.  At  this  time  they  were  inter- 
ested to  learn  that  the  street  of  their  abode  was 
named  for  a  worthy  and  respected  apothecary  of 
Paris,  who  was  with  Poutrincourt  at  Port  Royal,  and 
came  to  Quebec  with  Champlain  in  1617.  Also  that 
the  wide  stretch  of  moorland  beyond  the  fortifica- 
tions,^ which  bears  suggestively  a  pastoral  biblical 
cognomen,  was  named  for  Abraham  Martin,  an  old 
pilot  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  "  dit  I'Ecossais,"  also 
known  as  "  Maitre  Abraham."  He  owned  consider- 
able land,  and  wood  which  he  cut  was  dragged  on 
sledges  down  a  steep  winding  road  leading  to  the 
wharf  on  the  St.  Charles,  and  thence  shipped.  This 
street  is  now  known  as  Cote  d' Abraham. 

From  their  long  rear  balcony  the  Scholars  studied 
the  shipping  by  day  and  astronomy  at  night.  Impu- 
dent, important  little  tugs  dragged  huge  ships  and 
barques  out  of  the  harbor;  the  big  vessels  meekly 
following  with  useless-seeming  sails  set.  In  bad 
weather  the  vessels  were  moored  with  bare  poles,  but 
when  the  sun  came  out,  the  canvas,  gracefully  fes- 
tooned on  the  yards  to  dry,  gave  to  the  harbor  some- 


iln  the  late  Autumn  of  1907  a  commission  from  Quebec 
visited  Philadelphia  to  study  Fairmount  Park  and  obtain 
points,  information  and  suggestions,  as  it  is  decided  that  the 
Plains  of  Abraham  shall  be  turned  into  a  great  Pleasure 
Ground. 


ROCK  FORT 


^43 


what  the  effect  of  a  great  laundry.  The  fine  Marine 
Hospital,  away  down  below,  they  learned  was  built  in 
1832,  at  a  cost  of  $100,000,  and  is  supported  by  a 
tax  of  one  penny  per  ton  on  each  vessel  arriving 
from  sea,  and  also  a  portion  of  the  emigrant  tax. 
Above  the  Custom  House  the  red  flag  floated  in  fine 
weather,  or  wrapped  the  staff  when  rain-soaked, 
showing,  said  Scrivener,  that  England's  colors  won't 
run.  At  night  a  brilliant,  flaring  beacon  on  a 
dredge  reflected  in  the  black  water  took  on  the  shape 
of  Excalibur,  and  in  this  region  of  legend  and 
romance  the  spectral  arm  uplifting  it  could  readily 
be  imagined.  Late  in  August  the  auroral  arch 
seemed  to  reach  from  Point  Levis  to  the  fine  range 
musically  named  the  Bonhomme  and  Tsounonthouan 
mountains,  away  in  the  northwest.  Probably  this 
supernatural  bridge,  as  would  have 
been  most  fitting,  was  thrown  across 
when  the  famous  Chevalier  De 
Levis  visited  La  Sainte  Vierge  in 
celestial  realms;  on  which  occa- 
sion, says  tradition,  he 
dressed  as  "  Cousin," 
quested  not  to  uncover ! 

The  irreverent  pupils 
presumption  to  smile 
at  the  supposed-to-be 
formidable  fortifica- 
tions and  their  arma- 
ment,  asserting  that 


was 
and 


Collier. 


^U       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

modem  implements  of  warfare  could  demolish  the 
whole  in  short  order.  Their  audacious  conclusion 
was  as  to  the  little  popper  in  the  fort  which  was  taken 
at  Bunker  Hill :  "  'Tis  a  child's  toy,  and  much  glory 
it  must  have  brought  to  its  captors.^  It  would  not  be 
safe  to  attempt  to  fire  a  gun  of  the  Grand  Battery,  as 
it  would  surely  burst  and  kill  the  gunners ;  and  why  do 
those  clumsy  cannon  resemble  Japanese  officials? 
Sho-gunSy  to  be  sure!  The  Co-Eds,  who  have  been 
imagining  themselves  in  an  old  Norman  town  in  me- 
diaeval times,  could  not  tolerate  such  atrocities,  and 
the  brilliant  wits  were  summarily  ejected,  for  the 
time  at  least,  from  their  parlor. 

The  walls  were  lowered  several  feet  many  years 
ago,  and  in  "  ye  olden  times,"  when  the  gates  —  forts 
in  themselves  —  formed  the  only  ingress,  the  barriers 
must  have  seemed  invulnerable;  though  the  Scholars 
wondered  why  they  locked  the  front  door  and  "  left 
the  back  yett  ajee,"  also  that  it  was  thought  impos- 
sible for  an  invading  foe  to  effect  entrance  from  the 
rear.  Though  impassable  forests  and  impossible 
heights  proved  trifles  to  their  coureurs-des-bois 
("  white  Indians,"  as  Parkman  calls  them),  it  seems 
they  expected  such  barriers  would  be  quite  unsur- 
mountable  by  the  haughty  Southron,  even  though  he 
looked  upon  their  realm  with  more  envious  eye  than 
did  some  of  their  own  people  of  Europe  who  spoke 
contemptuously  of  their  "  leagues  of  snow." 


1  A  visitor  remarked:    "We  kept  the  whole  blessed  country, 
you  might  have  the  gun ! " 


SiLLERY  Cove  on  the  St.  Lawrence  Above  Quebec. 


ROCK  FORT  245 

The  Dabblers  chanced  to  stray  into  a  certain 
church  ( not  French )  in  a  back  street ;  and  would  fain 
rest  and  meditate  in  the  quiet,  although  the  odor  of 
sancity  pervading  the  edifice  was  redolent  of  stale 
incense,  emphasized  by  that  of  "  ingyuns !  "  Rais- 
ing their  eyes  to  study  the  decorations,  they  were 
struck  as  by  a  blow.  There  the  grim  reaper  is  de- 
picted stepping  along  with  rather  jaunty  air,  and  an 
expression  of  countenance  which,  despite  the  want  of 
eyes,  teeth,  flesh,  is  not  forbidding,  but  wears  a  wide 
smile.  Beside  this  "  human  frame  in  lattice-work  " 
stands  a  huge  harp,  and  roses  big  as  cabbages  are 
scattered  on  the  ground.  In  the  rear  a  bath  tub 
evidently  served  the  painter  as  model  for  a  sarcoph- 
agus; and  the  artist,  one  might  judge,  had  never 
seen  a  plough,  and  therefore  drew  upon  his  imagina- 
tion, unless  in  ancient  times,  in  Canada,  such  imple- 
ments were  built  barrow-fashion  and  did  have  a  wheel 
in  front. -^  This  remarkable  chef-d*ceuvre  reminded 
one  of  the  impromptu  off^-setting  of  Sydney  Smith's 
desire,  to  "  sit  in  his  bones,"  by  a  friend  who  said, 
"  That  would  not  be  cool ;  the  marrow  should  be  re- 
moved so  the  draught  could  blow  through !  "  When 
the  Scribbler  presented  a  sketch  of  this  fresco  to 
Blondina,  she  "  could  just  see  Brother  double  up  over 
that."  The  sculptor  who  carved  King  Leo's  clan 
on  the  fa9ade  of  the  Music  Hall  may  have  been  a 


1  Since  this  was  penned  the  writer  has  seen,  in  the  moun- 
tainous "  back  country "  of  Canada,  a  plough  with  a  whiiiie- 
tree,  to  which  two  small  wheels  were  attached. 


M6       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

compatriot  of  this  artist,  his  work  being  almost 
equally  remarkable.  The  carving  being  too  shallow, 
such  decidedly  Celtic  character  had  been  given  to  the 
leonine  countenances  that  they  became  quite  irre- 
sistible to  the  Summer  School,  who  immediately 
christened  the  Lions  of  Quebec  by  all  the  Irish  cogno- 
mens they  could  call  to  mind.'^ 

When  visiting  one  of  the  numerous  institutions,  a 
"  sister  "  quite  insisted  that  the  youngest  of  the  Co- 
Eds  ought  to  come  into  their  happy  home,  sure  she 
"  had  a  vocation ;  "  but  the  child  bravely  maintained 
that  "  one  might  find  a  vocation  outside,  and,  while 
remaining  i/n  the  world,  need  not  necessarily  be  of 
it ;  "  and  had  the  temerity  to  ask,  "  Were  they  so 
weak  they  could  not  withstand  the  wiles  and  allure- 
ments of  the  world,  and  so  were  forced  to  immure 
themselves? "  Among  purchases  of  souvenirs  of 
this  visit,  was  a  tiny  figure  of  a  saint  enclosed  in  metal 
box  to  be  carried  in  the  pocket  and  protect  the  bearer 
from  harm;  the  disrespectful  children  dubbed  it  the 
Lif e-Preserver !  When  a  fire  occurred  in  the  quarter 
of  the  Lower  Town,  which  has  so  many  times  been 
devastated,  soldiers  from  the  fort  were  quick  to  re- 
spond, as  usual,  and  rushed  by  at  double-quick. 
From  the  little  houses  in  that  closely-populated  dis- 
trict which  were  nearest  to  the  conflagration,  resi- 
dents were  emerging  clad  in  their  best  garments,  car- 


1  The  hall  was  burned  on  St.  Patrick's  night,  '99,  after  an 
entertainment  suited  to  that  occasion.  A  transparent  glass 
sign  reading?,  "  God  save  Ireland,"  remained  intact,  emphasiz- 
ing the  Celtic  lions,  in  1904. 


BELraY  OF  Ursuline's  Chapel,  from   Window 
Overlooking    the   Garden. 


ROCK  FORT  247 

rjing  their  greatest  treasures ;  sometimes  these  seemed 
to  consist  of  funeral  wreaths  under  glass  or  tawdry 
ornaments,  rather  than  articles  which  might  be  use- 
ful; and  in  other  houses  figures  of  saints  had  been 
placed  in  the  windows  as  if  to  protect  the  domicile, 
while  the  bell  of  the  nearest  church  clanged,  not  to 
give  alarm  to  the  fire  department,  which  was  out  in 
force,  but  to  call  upon  the  patron  saint  of  the  quar- 
ter to  look  after  his  edifice. 

If  one  should  be  careless  about  religious  observ- 
ances, it  would  not  be  for  the  want  of  reminder ;  bells 
in  numbers  sound  at  intervals  from  dawn,  almost, 
till  late  at  night.  Two  fine  chimes  (from  the  Eng- 
lish churches),  the  hard,  high-pitched  Ursulines  bell 
and  the  ponderous  tone  from  the  Basilica  (like  "  Big 
Ben"  of  London),  emphasizing  his  fellows  at  the 
Angelus 


i 


feg#*=;^=j^g^ 


Thus  goes  the  day :  Halt  on  thy  way  1 
I /est  thou  should  stray  From  heav'n  a- way, 
Thy  pray' rs  now  say ;    Or      penance  pay. 


Bells!  What  a  charm  there  is  about  them! 
Among  earliest  recollections  of  childhood  of  one 
member  of  the  Summer  School  is  the  sound  of  a  bell, 
which,  being  harsh  and  dissonant,  so  worked  upon 
youthful  sensibilities  as  to  cause  paroxysms  of  tears ; 
and  that  person  is  sure  that  should  some  genie  set 
him  down  blindfolded  in  any  place  where  he  had  ever 


^48       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

remained  for  a  time  the  mere  tones  of  the  bells 
would  enlighten  him  as  to  his  whereabouts.  Tradi- 
tion has  buried  bells  in  a  ruined  church  in  Nova  Sco- 
tia ;  and  also  engulfed  them  on  the  coast  of  that  coun- 
try in  vessels  bringing  supplies  to  colonists  of  New 
France.  Of  course  it  was  stated  also  that  silver  en- 
tered largely  into  the  composition  of  those  bells  and 
the  romantic  Tourist  listens  with  pleasure  to  the 
pretty  myth;  though  common  sense  plainly  says  that 
silver  would  soon  wear  away  in  such  use  and  that  the 
noble  patrons  of  struggling  colonies  in  a  wild  country 
would  not  have  been  so  extravagant  as  that.  More- 
over it  is  probably  well  known  that  bell  metal  is  a 
composition  of  copper  and  tin  which  has  been  in  use 
from  the  time  of  Henry  III. 

The  people  of  Antwerp  have  special  affection  for 
the  "  Carolus  "  of  their  famous  cathedral,  and  that 
bell,  it  is  affirmed,  is  actually  composed  of  copper, 
silver,  and  gold,  but  now  so  much  worn  that  it  is  not 
used.  "  Kings  and  nobles  have  stood  beside  these 
famous  caldrons "  (of  the  bell  founders)  "  and 
looked  with  reverence  on  the  making  of  these  old 
bells;  nay,  they  have  brought  gold  and  silver,  and 
pronouncing  the  holy  name  of  some  saint  or  apostle 
which  the  bell  was  hereafter  to  bear,  they  have  flung 
in  precious  metals,  rings,  bracelets,  and  even  bullion." 

Possibly  the  old  bells  whose  hiding  place  Nature 
guards  so  well,  were  made  by  Van  den  Gheyn  or  He- 
mony  of  Belgium,  who  from  1620  to  1650  were  such 
famous  founders  that  those  of  their  works  still  ex- 


ROCK  FORT  249 

tant  would  be  worth  their  weight  in  gold,  or  price- 
less, and  they  were  noted  the  world  over  for  their 
wonderful  melody.     When  they 

Sprinkled  with  sounds  the  air,  as  priest  with  his  hyssop 
Sprinkles  the  congregation  and  scatters  blessing  among  them. 

it  was  no  doubt  with  silvery  tone;  and  it  is  well 
known  that  bells  sound  best  when  rung  on  a  slope  or 
in  a  valley  where  there  is  a  lake  or  river. 

Sailors  of  the  North  Sea,  on  entering  the  Scheldt, 
strain  their  ears  to  catch  the  faint,  far  melody  of  the 
chimes  of  the  belfry  of  Antwerp,  visible  fifty  miles 
away. 

The  lives  of  the  earliest  missionaries  to  Canada  are 
remarkable  records  of  the  most  absolute  self-abnega- 
tion and  devotion  to  Church  and  faith,  and  even  non- 
sectarian  chroniclers  wrote  with  enthusiasm  and 
laudation  of  their  work.  If  those  writers  could  take 
up  their  pens  again  now,  and  express  themselves  re- 
garding present  times  in  the  dear,  delightful  old 
town,  the  record  would  read  rather  differently.  The 
Province  is  becoming  almost  thoroughly  French; 
churches  and  institutions  have  increased  greatly 
within  fifteen  years;  relics  and  the  power  of  the 
Church  are  widely  shown.  Yet,  in  the  States,  "  the 
Church "  has  its  summer  schools,  and  seems  to  en- 
courage advancement  in  education,  rather  than  to  be 
retrograding,  as  here,  apparently.  When  one  is 
passing  a  vacation  in  a  French  farm-house,  Madame 
will  complain  that  "  the  priest  gets  all  the  choice 
meats,    before    boucher    comes    to    her ; "    and    her 


250      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

daughter  who  (like  her  mother)  has  been  educated  in 
a  convent,  claims  that  "  the  nuns  are  too  old-fash- 
ioned and  don't  teach  their  pupils  modem  things." 
Another  informant,  though  French  and  Roman  Cath- 
olic, will  tell  you  that  a  certain  institution  in  Quebec 
"owns  ten  millions  worth  of  property — (and  so 
keeps  the  vow  of  poverty!)  — you  may  believe  it  or 
not ;  yet  they,  being  exempt  from  taxation,  make  the 
burden  come  heavy  on  the  English  and  Protestant 
population." 

The  English  population  has  decreased  one-half 
during  the  past  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  When 
conquered  and  conquerers  live  in  harmony  it  is  a  re- 
markable fact,  and  races  so  diverse  as  Briton  and 
Gaul,  it  would  seem,  could  have  no  more  affinity  than 
oil  and  water;  yet  there  is  no  outward  clashing.  The 
masses  are  apparently  on  good  terms,  but  among 
those  of  higher  social  position  and  better  education, 
there  are  at  least  whispered  repinings.  Possibly  the 
English,  proverbially  slow  though  sure,  have  been  too 
cautious.  It  may  be  that  "  States  People,"  accus- 
tomed to  large  business  interests  and  daring  ventures, 
have  encouraged  them  to  undertake  too  much.  The 
English  did  hold  the  bulk  of  commerce  in  their  hands, 
although  many  had  natural  and  inherited  distaste  for 
"  trade."  Secure  and  content,  they  lived  comfort- 
ably; but  after  a  while  were  aroused  to  realize  that 
business  was  slipping  away.  They  were  being  out- 
stripped. Some  of  the  French  Canadians,  who  had 
received  good  education  and  were  therefore  enterpris- 


ROCK  FORT  251 

ing,  were  gliding  into  official  and  business  positions, 
and  walking  off  with  emoluments  and  profits. 

The  habitan  is  happy, — -in  fact,  has  quite  a  good 
opinion  of  himself, —  but  his  is  the  bliss  of  ignorance. 
He  is  a  literal  person,  with  slight  sense  of  humor, 
slow  of  comprehension,  accepting  blindly  the  tenets 
and  fiats  of  the  Church,  never  thinking  it  possible  to 
"  make  reply  or  reason  why."  More  liberal  educa- 
tion would  have  taught  him  to  make  more  of  himself 
and  his  possessions.  Even  his  land  would  become 
more  productive  under  more  enlightened  culture;  but 
apparently  he  is  content  to  grub  along  in  his  slow, 
antique  fashion.  The  country  folk  learned  of  the 
Indians  to  make  foot-gear  (boots  and  shoes,  sewed 
moccasion  fashion,  being  in  general  use  among  habi- 
tan and  farmer),  so  it  seemed  natural  that  shoe- 
making  should  become  an  industry  of  Quebec;  and 
large  factories  have  sprung  up. 

One  hears  general  tribute  paid  to  the  honesty  and 
thrift  of  the  habitans.  Those  who  regularly  visit  the 
city,  bringing  their  wares  to  market,  become  slightly 
imbued  with  worldliness,  and  are  hardly  a  fair 
sample  of  people  of  the  "  back  country,"  some  of 
whom,  though  not  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
distant,  have  never  been  within  the  walls  of  Quebec. 
Recently  a  priest  in  one  of  these  villages  delivered  a 
scathing  sermon  against  pomps  and  vanities,  threat- 
ening to  read  out  from  the  pulpit  the  names  of  those 
women  who  did  not  take  off  feathers  and  flowers 
from  their  hats ;  and  it  is  needless  to  add  that  the  con- 


252        TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

gregation  at  once  assumed  a  severely  simple  aspect. 
It  is  said  that  not  many  years  ago  advertisements 
which  resembled  bank-notes  were  circulated  among 
these  simple  people  by  some  evil-disposed  person,  and 
accepted  as  money,  until  the  fraud  was  exposed. 
This  was  hardly  surprising  in  the  guileless  descend- 
ants of  the  peasantry,  who,  in  1685,  accepted  as 
money  playing  cards,  "  cut  in  four  pieces,  stamped 
with  fleur-de-lis  and  crown,  each  piece  signed  by  the 
Governor  Intendant  and  clerk  of  the  treasury  of 
Quebec." 

The  pretty  daughter  of  "  la  blanchisseuse  "  told 
"  les  Americaines  "  that  the  priest  would  not  allow 
the  girls  of  his  parish  to  dance  or  to  read  novels, 
though  she  admitted  that  the  temptation  to  indulge 
in  terpsichorean  exercise  occasionally  had  proved  ir- 
resistible, and  "  she  would  be  willing  to  pay  penance 
for  it ! "  Those  of  the  party  who  could  remember 
the  stalwart,  strapping  military  men  when  there  was  a 
garrison  to  guard  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Snows,"  found 
it  difficult  to  convince  the  children  of  that  fact,  when 
the  youngsters  remarked  scornfully  upon  the  small, 
boyish-looking  soldiers.  Scrivener  stated  that  the 
reason  the  round  spice-boxes  on  those  soldierly  heads 
are  called  "  fatigue  caps,"  is  because  it  requires  long 
practice  to  be  able  to  keep  them  aslant  their  pates  at 
j  ust  the  proper  angle !  Among  them  are  many  of 
the  French-Canadians,  who,  as  a  race,  are  small  of 
stature.  It  is  quite  possible  that  they  may  be  stunted 
through  excessive  use  of  tobacco.     Boys  from  seven 


ROCK  FORT  253 

years  of  age  are  constantly  seen,  not  only  with  cig- 
arettes, but  cigars  and  pipes,  and  nothing  can  con- 
vince them  that  the  habit  is  injurious.  Their  fathers 
raise  the  tobacco  (and  exhaust  their  land  thereby), 
and  they  have  always  seen  them  use  it,  why  should 
not  the  boys? 

The  Canadian  caleche   must  be  precisely  like  the 
famous  Deacon's  "  one-hoss  shay,"  and  even  more  so 


JC:K.e. 
A  Caliche. 

the  antique  ones  at  noted  resorts  down  the  river. 
When  the  school  turned  out  for  an  excursion  in  a 
long  string  of  these  queer  vehicles,  the  cure  in  one 
village  through  which  they  passed  came  out,  beaming, 
to  ask  if  it  was  a  wedding  party,  as  it  seems  the  habi- 
tans  always  prefer  these  conveyances  for  such  festivi- 
ties. Much  disgusted  was  Cynicus  on  this  occasion 
on  being  taken  to  see  a  small  portion  of  wall  still  left 
standing  of  a  once  noted  summer  residence  — "  the 
biggest  humbug ;  " —  but  the  others  found  compen- 
sation and  a  reminder  of  the  "  Innocents  Abroad  "  in 
their  cocker's  artless  questions, —  (he  must  have  been 


254.       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


Sabots. 


a  green  hand)  :  "  I  believe  this  man  was  burled  some 
time  ago,  Bigot?     His  house  was  burned  one  time?  " 

—  and  could  not  resist  retaliating  by  asking  if  he  was 
acquainted  with  the  former  resident. 

In  the  main  street  of 
the  St.  Roque  quarter  sa- 
bots ^  may  be  purchased, 

—  a  foreign-seeming  me- 
mento,—  and  the  strang- 
ers were  told  that  in  the 
spring,  when  roads  and  fields  are  bad,  the  country  folk 
make  considerable  use  of  them.  The  scholars  wondered 
if  they  might  be  seen  then  in  rows  of  all  sizes  outside 
the  doors,  as  in  Holland ;  and  they  might  have  told  the 
people  that  the  manufacture  of  wooden  shoes  is  quite 
an  industry  in  New  York,  where  there  is  constant  de- 
mand, on  the  East  Side,  for  the  wooden-soled  shoes 

used  by  workmen  in  certain  trades, 
and  also  for  the  genuine  sabots, 
French  and  German  women  of  the 
tenement  district  being  the  principal 
buyers.  "  A  propos  des  bottes," 
nothing  could  be  more  comfortable 
than  the  Indian  moccasin,  which,  in 
every  possible  style  of  antique  and 
modem  manufacture,  can  be  found 


"  Souliers 
Sauvages.' 


in  the  bazaars  of  Quebec ;  while  even  little  out-of-the- 


iThe  French-Canadian  sabot  is  less  clumsy,  and  of  more 
graceful  shape  than  the  foreign  ones.  Fishermen  of  St.  Pierre 
and  Miquelon  Islands,  near  Newfoundland,  wear  the  wooden 
shoes  always.    These  islands  belong  to  France. 


ROCK  FORT  255 

way  shops  show  sensible  russets  or  "  bottines  sauv- 
ages  "  (of  thin  sole  leather),  which  are  "the  very 
thing "  for  country  wear.  This  being  an  age  of 
fads,  it  is  interesting  to  learn  that  the  stiff -soled  shoe 
of  the  American  is  said  to  be  one  cause  of  his  high- 
strung,  over-wrought  nerves! 

Having  learned  some  Yankee  dodges,  one  might 
be  inclined  to  suspect  the  Injuns  (as  the  Kanayjuns 
call  them)  of  perfuming  the  sweet  grass  of  their 
baskets  with  fragrant  gums  or  essences;  only,  seeing 
it  growing,  and  gathering  it  one's  self,  is  convincing. 
Most  interesting  of  their  work  is  the  so-called  porcu- 
pine quill  embroidery,  although  the  quills  now,  prob- 
ably, are  from  feathers  of  fowls,  and  the  colors  (gen- 
erally well  contrasted)  aniline.  There  are  .but  few 
who  are  now  proficient  in  this  art,  which  has  been 
handed  down  from  great-grandmothers. 

As  the  Independents  had  been  residents  (and 
householders)  for  so  long  a  time,  they  could  not  see 
why  they  were  always  recognized  as  sojourners  and 
not  English  townspeople,  between  whom  and  them- 
selves they  could  not  discover  such  great  difference. 
When  one  questioned  an  inhabitant,  "  Why  are  we 
always  known  as  '  Americans  '  ?  "  The  reply  was, 
"  When  you  asked  at  the  apothecary's  this  morning 
for  '  a  bottle  of  ammonia,'  you  '  told  on  yourself  ' ;  I 
should  have  asked  for  '  a  phial  of  sal  volatile.' " 
This  led  to  allusions  to  Canadian  currency,  and  the 
Scholars  launched  Columbiads,  asserting  that  the  dig- 
nified old  statesmen  on  United  States  notes  are  much 


S56       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

more  suitable  and  appropriate  than  representations  of 
Princess  Louise  or  Lady  Dufferin  in  unpicturesque 
modern  attire,  however  commendable  their  loyalty  in 
desiring  to  have  such  portraits  adorning  their  bank 
bills.  The  response  to  this  was  that  our  English 
neighbors  across  the  lines  consider  themselves  much 
better  off  than  we,  in  having  their  Governor-Gen- 
eral chosen  for  them,  thus  escaping  such  political  and 
mercantile  earthquakes  as  we  endure  in  the  years  of 
Presidential  elections.  Then  ensued  an  interesting 
and  friendly  discussion  on  the  respective  status  (in  po- 
litical, business  and  social  affairs)  of  Canada  and  the 
United  States,  which  could  be  recorded  only  in  18mo 
volumes. 

As  Niagara  has  been  "  harnessed "  and  made  to 
drive  engines  and  mills,  why  should  not  the  power  of 
Montmorency  (which  Champlain  describes  as  "  nearly 
twenty-five  fathoms  in  height " )  be  utilized  to  light 
the  city?  A  very  beautiful  spectacle  it  presents,  and 
from  the  Terrace  at  night  the  scene  is  quite  sugges- 
tive of  Constantinople  and  the  Bosphorus.  One 
should  always  make  one's  advent  in  Venice  at  night, 
and  when  there  is  a  moon,  then  the  olden  glory  of  the 
Bridge  of  the  Sea  seems  to  return,  and  Time's  deface- 
ments are  obliterated.  It  is  quite  too  commonplace 
a  proceeding  to  come  into  such  a  city  as  this  by  the 
rear  and  land  route ;  one  should  always  arrive  by  the 
river,  or  roads  terminating  opposite  the  town. 

When  discussing  various  theories  as  to  the  spon- 
sors of  their  charming  place  of  sojourn,  and  the  sig- 


ROCK  FORT  257 

nificance  of  the  name,  the  Summer  School  entered 
into  a  little  investigation.  Many  Canadian  authors 
have  asserted  that  it  is  a  corruption  of  "  Quel  bee ! " 
— "  What  a  beak !  "  or  "  peak !  " —  the  exclamation 
of  some  ancient  Norman  on  his  arrival.  Recent 
writers  show  the  improbability  of  the  Norman  origin 
of  the  word,  claiming  that  it  is  Celtic,  as  in  that  lan- 
guage "  bee  "  means  "  a  point,  headland  or  promon- 
tory," and  that  thus  originated  our  words  beak  and 
peak,  while  in  the  Norse  tongue  "  bee  "  signifies  a 
brook  or  small  stream,  as  for  instance  the  English 
"  beck  "  and  German  "  bach."  "  It  is  well  known 
that  the  early  French  immigrants,  as  well  as  the  men 
of  Jacques  Cartier's  expedition,  were  from  Normandy 
and  Brittany.  The  Bretons  are  of  Celtic  origin. 
Brittany  seems  to  have  been  less  affected  by  Norman 
influence  than  other  parts  of  Gaul,  and  at  the  time  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  invasion  of  England  very  many  of 
the  Cymric  Celts  took  refuge  in  Brittany,  so  that  the 
Bretons  have  always  preserved  their  Celtic  character, 
and  Celtic  is  still  spoken  in  some  parts  of  the  coun- 
try." 

In  the  Algonquin  Indian  dialect  the  name  for  the 
place  signifies  "  it  is  shut,  it  is  narrow ; "  and  the 
Huron  name  was  Tia-ton-ta-rili,  "  the  place  of  a 
strait." 

An  air  of  elegant  leisure  and  dignified  repose  per- 
vades the  delightsome  town ;  a  glamor  of  romance  and 
historic  association  adds  charm  to  commonplace  every- 
day affairs.     One  could  not  fail  to  be  benefited  by 


^58       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

the  invigorating  atmosphere  and  restful  hfe,  while 
Nature's  panorama  so  generously  spread  all  around 
allures  in  all  of  its  phases,  and  one  is  thankful  that  so 
much  of  ancient  interest  still  remains,  in  this  icono- 
clastic "  age  of  iron  and  steam." 

None  shall  more  regretful  leave 

These  waters  and  these  hills  than  I; 

Or,  distant,  fonder  dream  how  eve 
Or  dawn  is  painting  wave  and  sky. 

How  rising  moons  shine  sad  and  mild, 
On  wooded  isle  and  quivering  bay. 

Or  setting  suns  beyond  the  piled 

And  purple  mountains  lead  the  day. 

—  Whittier. 

THE    "  CANADIAN    BOAT    SONG." 

One  naturally  thinks  of,  and  sings,  Moore's  "  Can- 
adian Boat-Song  "  when  in  Quebec,  and  one  can  hear 
voyageurs  and  raftsmen  singing  the  modern  French 
version  of  it  on  the  river,  under  the  cliffs  of  the 
Walled  City  of  the  North.  Ste.  Anne  was  the  sailor's 
guardian,  and  vessels  coming  in  from  sea  saluted  Ste. 
Anne  de  Beaupre  in  recognition  of  the  protection  of 
their  patron  saint ;  but  it  was  "  Ste.  Anne  du  Bout  de 
I'Isle,"  called  the  "  Green  Isle,"  twenty-one  miles 
southwest  of  Montreal,  to  which  he  refers,  and  there 
he  wrote  the  song.  The  story  of  how  he  came  to 
write  it  is  rather  interesting.  In  1804  Thomas 
Moore  made  the  journey  from  Kingston  to  Montreal 
in  a  birch-bark  canoe,  propelled  by  "  Voyageurs ;  "  a 
trip  which,  despite  the  charms  of  novelty  and  scenery, 
grew  wearisome  because  of  the  midsummer  heat,  the 


ROCK  FORT  259 

slow  rate  of  progress,  and  the  length  of  time  required 
(four  days  or  more),  though  the  boatmen  by  singing 
their  quaint  old  French  songs,  helped  to  while  away 
the  hours.  Peculiarly  interesting  these  must  have 
been  with  the  rhythmic  accompaniment  of  the  oars, 
while  the  breeze  carried  the  full,  mellow  resonant 
tones  of  the  hardy  oarsmen  over  the  water  to  the  wild 
wooded  shores.  One  of  these  songs  seemed  to  strike 
particularly  the  fancy  of  "  the  bright,  witty,  genial 
little  Irish  poet,"  and  it  will  be  seen  how  well  the 
melody  (which  he  supposed  to  be  the  one  heard  by 
him)  suits  the  measured  stroke  of  oars.  Moore  wrote 
down  the  air,  and  four  lines  of  the  song, —  the  only 
words  which  he  could  catch  of  the  peculiar  patois; 
these  lines  are : — 

Dans  mon  chemin,  j'en  rencontrai 
Deux  cavaliers,  tres  bien  months, 

and  the  refrain, 

A  I'ombre  du  bois,  je  m'en  bais  jouer; 
A  Tombre  du  bois,  je  m'en  bais  danser. 

"  To  Mr.  Harkness,  of  Dublin,  one  of  his  two  com- 
panions on  this  river  excursion,  Moore  gave,  as  a 
souvenir  on  parting,  a  book  which  he  had  been  read- 
ing on  the  journey,  and  more  than  fifteen  years  after- 
wards, on  visiting  Dublin,  that  book,  containing  the 
penciled  words  and  notes  of  this  song,  was  shown  to 
the  poet,  who  had  quite  forgotten  about  it.  On  the 
fly-leaf  he  had  taken  down  in  pencil  the  words  and 
notes  of  the  original  air.     Beneath  them  he  had  an- 


260       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

notated  occasional  changes  from  the  music,  but  essen- 
tially they  were  the  same, —  the  words, —  such  as  he 
could  understand  them, —  and  the  melody.  Even- 
tually he  changed  the  air  so  entirely  that  it  became 
wholly  his  own  composition,  but  of  this  he  was  ig- 
norant, and  until  he  met  years  afterward  with  the 
seemingly  valueless  relic  of  his  journey,  he  believed 
that  he  had  retained  essentially  the  original  melody. 
So  strongly  had  Moore  been  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  this  was  the  very  air  sung  by  the  boatmen ;  so 
closely  had  it  linked  itself  with  the  wild  scenery  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  he  could 
force  himself  to  acknowledge  the  penciled  original." 
(L.  S.  Converse  in  The  Literary  World.) 

"  La  Claire  Fontaine  "  is  spoken  of  as  "  the  na- 
tional air  of  the  Canadian  French."  This  is  an  an- 
cient song  of  Poitou  in  France,  is  still  sung  there,  and 
also  by  the  French  Canadian  habitans,  "  particularly 
is  the  environs  of  Quebec."  This  special  song  is 
known  in  Canada  by  the  title  "  J'ai  trop  grand  peur 
des  loups,"  though  the  words  of  "  A  la  claire  fon- 
taine,"  with  the  refrain,  "  Gai  Ion  la,  gai  le  rosier," 
are  often  sung  to  the  same  melody.  In  the  version  of 
"  J'ai  trop  grand  peur  des  loups,"  which  is  well 
known  among  the  Canadian  peasantry  of  the  present 
time,  the  first  two  lines,  which  Moore  jotted  down, 
occur,  with  the  exception  of  the  word  "  trois  "  instead 
of  "  deux,"  and  as  the  pretty  swing  of  the  air  makes 
it  well  adapted  to  keeping  time  with  oars,  it  seems 
probable  that  this  was  the  old  melody  which  Moore's 


ROCK  FORT 


261 


boatmen  sang,  and  that  they  possibly  sang  parts  of 
two  or  three  songs  to  that  same  tune.  The  hne  "  a 
I'ombre  d'un  bois  "  appears  in  still  another  of  the 
French-Canadian  chansons;  and  almost  all  of  them 
show  their  origin  in  Normandy. 


CANADIAN  BOAT  SONG. 


(Chant  6c  Voyagfeof  Canadien.) 


English  "^of  ds  and  Music  by 
THOMAS  MOORE. 


French  Vetdan  ^ 
F.R.ANGERS^ 


1.  Faintly,  as  tolls  the  evening  chime,  Our  voices  keep  tune  and  our 

1.  La    cloche  tinte  au  vieux  clocherf  Et   I'avi-ron   .suit     la 

2.  Why  sliould  we  yet  our  sail  unfurl?  There  is  not  a  breath  the  blue 

2.  Pourquoi  donner  la  voile  au  vent?  Pas    un     zephyr  ne  ride 

3.  Utawas*  tidel  this  trembling  moon  Shall  see  us  float  over  thy 
3.  Fier     Ot-  ta-  wa,  les  feux  du  soir  Nous  guideront  ear    ton 


^zgzgzrztzgg^SE^EES^ 


ito 


UUh^ 


^ 


^ 


3St 


oars  keep  time,  Our  voices  keep  tunc  and  our  oars  keep  time; 
voix   du  nocher.Et      Taviron  .suit  la  voix  du     nocher; 
wave  to     curl,  There  is  not  a  breath  the  blue  wave  to  curl, 
le       con  -  rant,  Pas       un     z6  -  phyr    ne  ride  le  courant 
6ur  -  ges    soon,  Shall  sfee  us  float  o  -  ver  thy  sur  -  ges  soon, 
mi  •  rage  noir.  Nous  guideront     sur     ton    mi  -  rage  noirl 


^^m 


m 


^ 


262       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


-M^ 


i 


^E^ 


£ 


Soon  as  the  woods  on  shore  look  dim,  Wl!  sing  at  Saint  Ann's  onr 
Sur  le  rivage  11  se  fait  tard  Chantons  chantons  I'air 
But  wlien  the  wind  blows  ofl'the  shore,  O  sweetly  we^ll  rest  our 
Quand  du  bord  les  vents  souffler-  ont  Vous  dor-  mirez  sur 
Saint  of  this  green  isle,  hear  onr  prayers — O  grant  us  cool  heav'nsand 
Pa  -  tronne  de    ces    verts  ilots,  Sainte  An-ne    ai  -  de  nous 


't^r  1 1  f-C"^ 


S 


-^—^ 


i^ 


4v-t!u 


f^=f^^^=*=m=^^m 


Sarting  hymn.  Row,  brotliers,  row!  the  stream  runs  fast,  The  rapids  are 
u       ci^part:  Nagez  rameurs,  car  Tonde  fuit,  Le  rapide   est 
weary  oar.  Blow,  breezes,  blow  I  the  streaa  runs  fast,  The  rapids  are 
I'a  -  viron.  Soufflez,  zephyrs,  car  I'onde  fuit,  Le  rapide   est 
fav'ring  airst  Blow,  breetw,  blow  I  the  streaos  runs  fast,  The  rapids  are 
sur  les  flotsi  Soufflez,  zephyrs,  car  I'onde  fuit,  Le  rapide   est 


^ 


^^^^^^ 


3i3 


^-Jif  i  J  jUi^^lJ^ 


^ E-^-z ij g     "     W  *^     '-9     "    Lj Ji u 

near  and  the  daylight's  past,  Tlia  rapids  are  near  and  the  dayliglifi  past 
proche,  et   le  jour  finit,  Le  rapide  est  proche,  et  le  jour  fimt 


Deux  k  cheval  et  I'autre  ^  pied;  (bis) 
Celui  d'a  pied  m'a  demand^, 
Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 


Celui  d'^  pied  m'a  demande,  (bis) 
Ou  irons-nous  ce  soir  coucher? 
Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 


ROCK  FORT  263 


6. 

Ou  irons-nous  ce  soir  coucher?  (bis) 
Chez  nous,  monsieur,  si  vous.  voulez, 
Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 

7. 

Chez  nous,  monsieur,  si  vous  voulez;  (bis) 
Vous  trouv'rez  un  bon  souper. 
Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 

8. 

Vous  trouv'rez  un  bon  souper  (bis) 
Et  de  bons  lits  pour  vous  coucher. 
Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 


Et  de  bons  lits  pour  vous  coucher  (bis) 
Lcs  cavaliers  ont  accepts. 

Vous  m'amusez,  etc. 


Moore  represents  the  song  as  "  a  long,  incoherent 
story,  of  which  I  could  understand  but  little,  from 
the  barbarous  pronunciation  of  the  Canadian,"  and 
the  peculiar  manner  of  repetition  in  singing,  by 
which  one  only  learns  one  more  line  of  the  story  with 
each  added  verse  (nine  lines  being  required  when 
three  would  have  told  it)  ;  so  it  seems  that  this  was 
the  "  Chanson  du  Voyageur "  which  he  heard.  If 
the  boatmen  not  only  sang  the  words  belonging  to  the 
air,  but  also  "A  la  Claire  Fontaine "  to  the  same 
melody,  no  wonder  it  seemed  interminable. 

Colonel — -afterwards  Sir  Garnet  —  Wolseley  at- 
tained fame  when  he  quelled  the  uprising  in  the  Red 
River  region  in  1870.  The  inhabitants  were  mainly 
French-Canadian  half-breeds,  descendants  of  voy- 
ageurs    and    coureurs-du-hois,    "  who    had    formerly 


^64i       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

been  the  only  white  explorers  of  that  wild  region." 
The  soldiers  under  Wolseley  were  offered  land  in  re- 
turn for  their  services,  but  did  not  accept.  The  rail- 
ways now  reach  those  regions,  and  fortunes  could 
have  been  made  from  these  allotments  if  the  men 
had  only  been  far-sighted  enough  to  realize  it. 
When  Wolseley  was  summoned  to  assist  Gordon  in 
the  East  he  called  for  Indian  voyageurs  from  Hoch- 
elaga,  opposite  Montreal,  for  Nile  boatmen. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM 


265 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM 

BON,  Ben  and  Beau,  with  the  Scrivener,  Dab- 
bler, and  Incorrigible,  when  sojourning  in  the 
lands  of  the  Aborigines  of  the  East,  became 
much  interested  in  those  "  men  of  Sunrise  Land ;  " 
and,  learning  that  descendants  of  the  Algonquins  are 
to  be  seen  in  Ottawa,  Ojibwaj,  Chippewa  and  other 
tribes,  became  fired  with  desire  to  study  them.  One  of 
the  sextet  quoted: 

O  mighty  Sowanna, 

Thy  gateways  unfold, 
From  thy  wigwam  of  sunset 

Lift  curtains  of  gold! 

This  was  considered  the  decisive  dictum  as  to  the 
objective  point  of  the  travels  of  those  Bons  Amis. 
Maps,  tables,  statistics  proved  irresistible  magnets, 
drawing  them  to  one  of  the  "  unsalted  seas  " —  known 
to  early  explorers  as  "  Mer  Douce  " —  and  the  north 
shore  of  Huron  seemed  to  promise  an  alluring  and 
ideal  abiding  place  for  the  time  when  Sirius  is  reg- 
nant and  old  Sol  so  mercilessly  pours  out  caloric. 
There,  surely,  would  "  Shawondasee,  the  South 
Wind,"  "  blow  cool  across  those  moving  miles," 
though  his  breath,  inland,  wilts  and  scorches.  Prox- 
imity to  the  "  Great  Sea,"  as  the  Indians  described 
Lake  Superior  to  Sieur  Nicollet,  also  indicated  that 
267 


268       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

"  Keewaydin,  the  Northwest  Wind,"  would  fre- 
quently refresh  with  his  invigorating  air.  During 
many  days  of  dreamy  and  poetic  navigation  the 
"  Norsemen  "  ^  cruised  among  myriad  isles,  and  called 
at  quaint  ports,  "  away  in  back  "  from  the  estuaries  of 
wild  and  winding  rivers;  lumbering  settlements, 
these,  where  the  travelers  became  somewhat  versed 
in  the  "  lingo  of  the  bush,"  and  talked  wisely  of 
the  transformations  of  the  monarch  of  the  forest. 
"  When  first  felled,"  said  Ben, —  (self -constituted 
valet-de-place) i — "  it  is  sawed  in  sections,  known  as 
crooks,  rots,  spunks,  shakes  and  knots."  Gazing  on 
towering  stacks  of  lumber.  Beau  remarked  that  un- 
doubtedly "  one  could  get  board  cheap  in  such  local- 
ity," and,  parading  "  bush  talk,"  proposed  that  they 
should  "  plank  down  and  settle,"  unaware  that  he 
was,  in  miner's  phraseology,  demanding  payment  of 
gambling  dues!  Scorning  such  attempts  at  jocular- 
ity, Ben  continued  imparting  "  important  informa- 
tion," in  this  wise: 

" '  Deal '  means  board  three  inches  thick ;  plank  is 
board  two  inches  thick ;  anything  under  two  inches  in 
thickness  goes  by  the  name  of  '  waney  '  or  board  lum- 
ber. A  '  square  timber '  raft,  to  weather  storms  it 
may  encounter  crossing  the  lake,  has  to  be  strongly 
put  together, —  a  slow  and  costly  process.  A  frame, 
or  '  dram,'  is  made,  on  which  about  five  hundred 
*  sticks  of  timber '  are  piled ;  sometimes  there  are  ten 


1  Not  to  be  found  in  the  Lake  fleet. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  269 

of  these  sections  on  a  raft,  and,  fastened  together  by 
chains,  a  tug  drags  them  '  down  the  lake.'  " 

As  the  others  seemed  to  endure  this  infliction  with 
resignation,  the  informant  continued: 

"  A  saw  log  is  any  log  from  twelve  to  sixteen  feet 
long;  any  round  log  over  eighteen  feet  is  known  as 
'  dimension  timber ; '  the  greater  portion  of  saw  logs 
are  twelve  or  thirteen  to  sixteen  feet  in  length,  the 
most  desirable  being  sixteen  feet.  Six  inches  above 
this  is  allowed,  as  the  ends  become  bruised  or 
*  broomed  up  '  in  running  rapids.^  Logs  chained  to- 
gether form  '  booms  '  and  hold  floating  saw  logs  se- 
curely within ;  powerful  tugs  tow  the  mass,  and  a  trip 
across  the  lakes  requires  a  week's  cruise,  often  two,  if 
weather  is  unfavorable.  If  the  boom  breaks,  the 
tugs  move  round  outside,  keeping  the  logs  within  till 
the  breach  is  mended, —  quite  suggestive  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  cowboys  treat  cattle  when  they  stam- 
pede." 

"  To  those  tree  fellers, —  and  that's  not  slang," 
continued  Ben,  "  the  Bush  Ranger,  or  expert,  is 
known  as  '  top  sawyer ; '  he  estimates  the  value  of 
timber  land,  and  the  amount  which  can  be  cut  from 
it.  It  requires  years  of  experience  and  hard  work  to 
become  an  expert.  Ten  miles  a  day  is  a  good  day's 
work  when  estimating,  but  sometimes,  if  good  snow 
shoeing,  a  longer  distance  can  be  traveled." 


1  French-Canadians  and  Indians  repeat  prayers  before  enter- 
ing rapids* 


270       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Within  the  great  mill  a  demon  held  sway;  and  as 
huge  trunks  vanished  in  his  insatiable  maw,  he 
emitted  a  chromatically  ascending  sz-z-z  and  sc-re-e-e, 
a  shriek  of  exultation,  before  which  the  travelers  fled 
to  the  deck  of  their  boat,  there  "  a  propos  des  bois," 
impromptu  conundrums  were  perpetrated.  Any  one 
could  guess  that  the  Schoolmaster's  tree  is  the  birch, 
and  that  the  lover  parted  from  his  inamorata  could 
only  be  represented  by  pine.  Evidently  the  old  joker 
could  claim  the  chestnut,  and  one  of  h'English  h'an- 
cestry,  h'oax.  In  spruce  one  sees  the  dandy ;  the  fish- 
erman's preference  would  be  the  beech;  the  ash  for 
the  chandler ;  for  the  Arctic  traveler,  fir ;  for  the  poli- 
tician and  the  profane  man,  the  Japanese  gincko 
(which  now  appears  in  our  streets)  ;  and  they  might 
have  kept  on  till  this  day  had  not  Bon  called  a  halt, 
remarking  to  Ben  that  sufficient  evidence  had  been 
received  of  the  kind  of  stick  he  was,  therefore  his 
bark  might  cease;  unless  he  desired  his  auditors  to 
get  bored  in  different  manner  from  that  which  Beau 
had  suggested. 

Slowly  o'er  the  shimmering  landscape 
Fell  the  evening's  dusk  and  coolness. 
And  the  long  and  level  sunbeams 
Shot  their  spears  into  the  forest. 
Breaking  through  its  shields  of  shadow. 
Rushed  into  each  secret  ambush, 
Searched  each  thicket,  dingle,  hollow. 

The  vessel  directed  its  course  toward  the  Lauren- 
tian-bordered  north  shore,  whence  a  long  point 
reached  into  the  golden  glory,  its  rocky  heights  trans- 
figured by  distance  and  a  veil  of  luminous  haze,  and 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  S71 

a  gorgeous  panoply  of  cloud  was  repeated  in  water 
of  oily  smoothness.  This  suggested  to  the  romantic 
travelers  the  arm  of  "  Wabun,  Father  of  the  Winds 
of  Heaven,"  beckoning  "  to  the  kingdom  of  the  west 
wind." 

When  the  long-lingering  twilight  faded  the  vessel 
seemed  to  vanish  from  mortal  ken  and  to  slide  into 
"  midnight  deeps ; "  then  behold  Aurora  Borealis 
"flaring  far  away  to  northward ; "  weird  pageant 
which  the  Indians  believed  to  be  "  warriors  with  their 
plumes  and  war  clubs."  Fitting  herald  of  entrance 
into  regions  of  mystery  and  legend,  when,  at  the 
"  wee  sma '  hour  ayant  the  twal,"  throbbing  engines 
were  stilled  at 


TCHI-BAO-NON-ING,^   OR  CHEMAUNANING. 

"  Fine  canoe  channel ;  "  fittingly  descriptive  is  the  In- 
dian name,  and  the  travelers  regretted  that  it  has  not 
been  retained,  quite  resenting  the  modem  title  —  bor- 
rowed from  the  Emerald  Isle  —  however  appropriate 
that  might  seem  from  the  fact  that  "  the  gintleman 
that  pays  the  rint "  was  much  in  evidence,  as  porcine 
specimens  of  every  size  and  variety  of  color  peram- 
bulated highways  and  byways.  Along  one  side  of 
this  admirable  waterway  stretches  the  simple  old- 
time-y  village,  and,  a  stone's  throw  across,  George 
Island  forms  the  farther  boundary  of  Nanabojo's 
Lane,  and  is  inhabited  by  his  people,  whom  the  French 


1  Killarney ;  Georgian  Bay,  Lake  Huron. 


272       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


residents  of  the  quaint  little  port  call  "  les  sauv- 
ages."  They  are  by  no  means  wild,  however,  but 
mild  of  voice  and  manner;  even  the  smallest  children, 
serious  to  stolidity,  though  they,  like  their  elders, 
may  be  studying  the  strangers  curiously  from  their 
solemn-looking  but  limpid  and  lustrous  black  eyes. 
Students  of  the  many  dialects  of  the  Red  Man's  lan- 
guage in  the  Eastern  Provinces  give  "  chemaun  "  as 
their  word  for  canoe ;  here  the  syllable  "  che "  he- 


Antique  Haycart. 

comes  "  tchi,"  and  "  mau  "  is  changed  to  "  bao  "  in 
the  Lake  region.  In  some  dialects  the  sound  of  a 
laugh  is  represented  by  "  E-e-e  "  for  mouth,  and  the 
tick  of  a  clock  suggesting  in  their  word  "  Tik-ka-tah- 
kah  "  for  that  household  convenience.  Outside  the 
village,  where  an  arm  of  the  bay  curves  caressingly 
round  "  Rocher  Rouge,"  and  smiling  meadows  stretch 
to  tree-fringed  water,  the  travelers  were  deposited 
(emitting  sighs  of  satisfaction)  and  Monsieur  Le 
Fermier, — -most  kindly  host, —  was  ever  ready  to  do 
their  pleasure.  Delectable  the  atmosphere,  wondrous 
the  mirrored  pictures  of  mountain-bordered  shore,  fir- 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  273 

crested  points  and  isles,  and  peace  profound  per- 
vaded the  place,  save  that  a  distant  murmur, —  a  lov- 
ing whisper  in  Nature's  ear, —  could  be  heard.  This 
the  Indians  call  "  mudway-aushka,"  the  "  sound  of 
waves  on  the  shore,"  and  that  alone  proclaimed  prox- 
imity to  the  miniature  sea,  which  had  smiled  so  gra- 
ciously upon  the  travelers  that  they  could  not  believe 
that  it  can  take  on  most  of  the  phases  of  "  the  vasty 
deep." 

A  marvelous  artist  is  Keewaydin,  and  when  a 
nor'wester  sets  in  superb  is  his  coloring ;  surf  tumbles 
on  the  rich  red  rock  border  of  even  sheltered  coves, 
turns  the  sea  to  sapphire  over  "  distant  deeps,"  and 
to  liquid  emerald  on  nearer  shallows,  while  the  moun- 
tains, though  more  than  a  mile  distant,  loom  in  crys- 
talline clearness. 

"  Mahng,"  the  loon,  and  "  Kayoshk,"  the  sea  gull, 
fascinate  with  their  evolutions;  gallantly  the  former 
breasts  the  waves,  sometimes  touching  his  wings  to 
the  water, —  as  an  oarsman  "  feathers  " —  prepara- 
tory to  a  plunge,  then  emerging  far  away,  emits  his 
eerie  call.  ^  The  wheeling,  swooping  gulls  send  forth 
their  peculiar  creaking  cry,  which  becomes  a  bubbling 
chuckle  when,  in  the  wake  of  a  boat,  they  dive  for 
bits  tossed  to  "  the  captain's  chickens."  Without  ap- 
parent movement  of  the  wide-stretched  pinions,  they 
slide  down  the  wind,  and,  resting  on  wave-crests, 
here,  there  and  yonder,  resemble  small  ducks  as  with 


1  Quite  a  contrast  to  the  white  man's  contemptuous  phrase, 
"  chicken-hearted,"  is  the  Indian's  "  mahn-go-tay-see,"  loon- 
hearted,  brave. 


S74 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  275 

wings  closely  folded,  they  bob  and  sway  with  saucy 
serenity,  as  if  quite  aware  that  they  are  disporting 
themselves  under  Government  protection. 

The  Dabbler  approved  of  the  stanch  and  sturdy 
fisher's  craft,  with  their  picturesque  tanned  sails,  con- 
trasting as  strongly  with  water  and  pine-clothed 
shore  as  the  syenite  rock  which  is  scattered  through 
this  region,  and  seems  to  have  been  the  boat  builder's 
guide  for  tint.  Two  masts,  twenty  feet  at  least  in 
height,  support  brown-red  canvas,  the  main-sail  huge 
in  proportions ;  the  other,  exact  though  smaller  copy, 
"  might  be  called  major  and  minor,"  Bon  remarked. 
The  name  skiff,  seemed  more  fitting  for  a  much 
smaller,  frailer  vessel,  and  the  Yankee  "  double 
ender "  applicable  to  the  peculiar  bateau,  as  row- 
boats  and  small  sloops  or  cats  have  bow  and  stem 
alike,  and  the  largest  have  rounded  instead  of  square 
stem.  The  Marblehead  sailor's  adage,  that  one  can 
judge  a  man  "by  the  cut  of  his  jib,"  came  to  mind 
when  the  summerers  witnessed  the  marking  out  on 
the  dock  of  one  of  those  valuable  aids  to  navigation, 
and  later,  when  the  wide  plank  appeared  in  presum- 
ably ensanguined  condition,  'twas  naught  but  the 
staining  of  the  sails  which  had  produced  this  rather 
startling  hue,  and  the  shuddering  spectator  was  re- 
lieved, if  he  had  felt  (again  in  Marblehead  parlance) 
at  all  "  crimmy." 

Hardy  skippers  and  admirable  guides  convoyed  the 
friends  far  out  for  deep  water  fishing,  or,  gliding 
noiselessly  into  "  Portage  Couvert,"  or  distant  coves, 


276      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

lured  smaller  piscatorial  specimens  from  their  hiding 
places.  Then,  again,  sure  of  sight  and  foot  in  even 
"  blind  trails,"  they  led  the  way  up  the  rugged  Lau- 
rentians  to  wild  tarns  upon  their  crests,  or  away  back 
in  the  forest  to  lonely  lakes  (entrancing  to  sports- 
men) where  in  winter  they  become  "  shantymen  "  and 
engage  in  lumbering. 

Regis,  lithe  and  bronzed,  paddling  his  chemaun 
"  where  the  rushes  waved  and  whispered,"  told  his 
passengers  that  from  these  "  apukwa  "  the  Indians 
weave  mats,  as  described  in  "  Hiawatha,"  such  as 
they  had  seen  Monsieur  Peau  Rouge  bringing  to 
the  landing  with  "  meenagha  "  (blueberries)  to  bar- 
ter. Yes,  and  do  not  those  same  reeds  whisper,  "  Le 
Roi  Midas,  a  des  oreilles  d'anes  ?  "  How  his  dark 
eyes  danced  when  one  told  him  of  a  youth,  who, 
boasting  of  his  years  of  foreign  travel,  said :  "  J'etais 
un  ane  a  Londres;  j'etais  un  ane  a  Madrid;  j'etais 
un  ane  a  Moscow,"  and  was  answered,  "  Oui,  vous 
avez  ete  un  ane  partout ! " 

When  making  the  seven-mile  circuit  of  George 
Island  in  such  fascinating  manner,  "  Rat  Portage  " 
was  pointed  out;  the  depression  at  the  top  of  the 
pass  being  explained  as  "  the  place  where  Nenabojo 
took  a  bite  out  to  make  his  road  better,"  and  on  the 
south  shore  of  this  isle  there  is  the  Giant's  Well  and 
Stairway,  —  Nenabojou's  Cauldron,  —  where  the 
strata  of  red  rock  are  singularly  turned  up  on  edge, 
and  in  an  inner  seam  the  pool  was  formed  where  the 
Indian  deity  cooked  the  delicate  and  toothsome  little 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  277 

fish  "  Kokanangwi,"  which  "  hide  under  flat  stones 
around  the  edge  of  outer  islands  to  the  southwest." 
This  locaHty.  was  the  favorite  haunt  of 


NENAWBOZHOO. 

This  Manitou  or  Guardian  Spirit  resembles  the 
beneficent  and  genial  giant  of  the  Eastern  Provinces, 
Glooscap.  The  name  is  also  rendered  Nenabojo  or 
Nanibojou.  (One  of  Longfellow's  models  for 
"Hiawatha"  was  "  Manabozo.")  He  is  still  the 
protecting  spirit  of  navigators  and  fishers,  and 
through  all  this  northland  are  hosts  of  brave  ones, 
both  red  man  and  pale-face,  for  him  to  guide  and 
guard.  The  Indian  considers  him  the  progenitor  of 
his  race,  though  some  highly  educated  ones  of  the 
present  time  agree  with  modern  savants  in  the  belief 
that  their  ancestors  were  Egyptians,  who  during  the 
course  of  centuries  made  their  way  across  Behring 
Strait.  Their  picture-writing,  physiognomy,  and 
some  racial  characteristics,  are  held  up  as  proofs  of 
this  theory.^  In  their  traditions  Bible  history  is  cu- 
riously mingled  with  Norse  mythology  and  legend, 
the  latter  handed  down  and  passed  on  from  their 
brethren  of  the  Eastern  Provinces.  Those  brothers 
"  from  the  land  of  light  and  morning"  (vide  Long- 

1  The  Jessup  expedition  has  recently  returned  from  North- 
western Siberia,  bringing  one  hundred  cases  of  specimens. 
The  object  of  their  investigations  was  to  prove  that  the  North 
American  Indians  are  of  Asiatic  origin. 


^78       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

fellow)  heard  from  their  ancestors  the  weird  tales  of 
early  explorers  in  "  Amerique  du  Nord." 

Nenawbozhoo  called  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
his  "  nephews,"  and  taught  them  how  to  make  uten- 
sils, boats,  "  sugar  from  trees,"  and  other  useful  arts. 
His  mother  was  a  beautiful  being,  very  devout,  who 
engaged  in  long  fasts,  during  which  she  saw  visions, 
and  declared  that  she  conversed  with  the  gods.  They 
told  her  that  her  sons  would  be  wonderful  men,  who 
would  do  great  things  for  the  human  race.  These 
sons  were,  seemingly,  the  embodiment  of  Good  and 
Evil;  the  first-bom,  from  his  earliest  days  beneficent 
and  desirous  of  helping  his  people,  became  a  seer  and 
mighty  hunter;  the  other  a  monster  who  killed  his 
mother,  fled  to  the  forest  and  was  never  seen  again. 
"  Gitchi-manito  the  mighty  "  had  as  his  companion 
in  the  hunt,  not  a  dog,  but  a  great  black  wolf. 
When  Nenawbozhoo  learned  that  the  dread  creature 
who  was  called  his  brother  had  caused  the  death  of 
his  mother,  he  set  out  to  find  and  exterminate  the 
monstrosity,  traveling  over  the  earth  and  through 
forests  and  mountain  fastnesses.  He  finally  van- 
quished him,  and  the  body  of  "  Stone  Heart  "  became 
masses  of  flint,  which  any  one  can  see  scattered 
throughout  this  region.  Indians  point  out  depres- 
sions in  the  rock,  which  might  suggest  huge  foot- 
prints ;  these  they  call  the  "  Giant's  Track,"  and  a 
round  hole,  "  about  as  large  and  deep  as  a  common 
brass  kettle,"  is  "  his  kettle,  that  he  dropped  when 
chasing  his  brother." 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  279 

Along  the  moraine  of  Alpine  glaciers  such  holes, 
• —  called  moulins  by  the  peasants, —  are  frequently 
seen;  Nature's  pestle  and  mortar,  as  she  has  manu- 
factured them  by  the  action  of  water,  constantly 
whirling  and  grinding  a  stone  in  a  hollow  of  the 
rock. 

One  of  the  friends  was  reminded  of  the  Indians' 
"  stone-soup ; "  the  concoction  of  which  he  had  wit- 
nessed when  auditors  doubted  Red  Skin's  ability  in 
culinary  art.  First,  on  the  shore,  preferably  a  sand 
beach,  a  pit  was  dug,  lined  with  stones,  and  a  roaring 
fire  built  thereon,  which,  after  burning  a  certain 
length  of  time,  was  "  drawn."  One  of  these  hot 
stones  dropped  in  one  of  the  rock  kettles  set  the  water 
boiling,  so  soup  was  being  prepared  while  the  "  squan- 
tum  "  progressed.  Over  the  hot  stones  of  the  fire-pit 
vegetables  and  shell  fish,  between  layers  of  wet  sea- 
weed, were  piled,  the  whole  covered  with  a  sail;  and 
thus  the  cooking  was  done  by  steam,  and  the  fine 
flavor  retained  by  shell  fish,  while  the  com  and  pota- 
toes, in  their  natural  coverings,  were  "  done  to  a 
turn." 

Nenawbozhoo,  having  received  warning  that  a  tre- 
mendous storm  was  to  come,  set  about  building  a  vast 
raft  with  a  huge  wigwam  upon  it,  in  which  he  and 
his  "  nephews,"  and  a  great  company  of  animals, 
were  saved.  The  cause  of  the  great  flood  was  that 
the  "  God  of  the  Deep  "  was  jealous  of  Gitchi-man- 
ito's  hunting  dog,  the  great  black  wolf;  he  one  day 
was  successful  in  luring  it  to  his  confidence,  when 


280       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

he  killed  it,  and  made  a  great  feast,  inviting  all  the 
monsters  of  the  deep  to  come  and  partake.  There 
was  a  certain  place  on  the  shore  where  the  God  of 
the  Deep  was  accustomed  to  come  with  his  hosts  to 
sun  themselves  and  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  being  on 
dry  land.  The  Mighty  Hunter  knew  this  spot,  so 
strung  his  bow  and  trimmed  his  arrow  and  prepared 
to  watch,  and  by  his  supernatural  power  transformed 
himself  into  a  black  stump.  Water  tigers  and  ser- 
pents asked  their  master  to  accompany  them  ashore; 
he  was  afraid  that  the  Mighty  One  would  be  lurking 
about  and  ready  to  kill  him  because  he  had  killed  his 
black  wolf,  so  he  told  them  to  go  ashore  and  see  that 
all  was  clear.  They  examined  the  stump  (which 
they  had  not  noticed  before)  ;  the  tigers  climbed  it 
and  inserted  their  long  sharp  claws,  and  the  serpents 
wound  round  it  like  tightly  coiled  cables.  On 
learning  that  nothing  could  be  found  of  uncanny 
nature,  the  sea  monsters,  with  their  master,  came 
ashore,  and  the  host  soon  were  basking  and  dozing 
in  the  hot  sand  of  the  beach.  Then  the  stump  as- 
sumed proper  shape,  and,  fixing  one  of  his  best 
arrows  into  his  bow,  the  Great  One  shot  the  God  of 
the  Deep  through  the  forehead,  his  vulnerable  spot. 
Then  all  the  water  monsters  "  rushed  out,  chasing 
the  slayer  of  their  master,"  and  the  Indian  deity 
"  fled  for  his  life,  pursued  by  mountains  of  water ; " 
but,  as  he  had  been  so  far-sighted  as  to  have  his 
great  boat  prepared,  he  was  thus  saved  from  destruc- 
tion, with  his  family  and  animals.     After  sailing  for 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM 


281 


months,  when  this  great  navigator  wished  to  learn 
if  the  waters  were  subsiding,  he  sent  the  beaver,  but 
he  died  before  reaching  bottom  and  came  floating 
to  the  surface,  where  his  master  revived  him  by 
blowing  in  his  nostrils.  Then  he  called  the  muskrat, 
"his  good  diver,"  and  "flattered  and  cajoled  him," 
instructing  him  to  "  bring  back  earth  from  the 
bottom  in  his  paw."  The  muskrat  also  expired  be- 
fore reaching  the  surface ;  but  his  master,  as  he  drew 
him  into  the  great  wigwam 
boat,  observed  the  earth  in 
the  creature's  paw.  This 
he  made  into  a  small  parcel 
and  fastened  it  to  the  neck 
of  the  raven,  sending  that 
bird  out  as  his  third  mes- 
senger ;  "  then  the  waters 
began  to  recede  very  fast, 
and  soon  the  earth  came 
back  to  its  natural  shape, 
as  it  had  been  before."  Cross  in  "  Le  Champ  des  Moris. 

Of  the  Indian  reservation,  on  the  adjacent  great 
island,  had  Pere  Casaque  told,  dwelling  with  affec- 
tionate interest  on  the  virtues  of  his  children,  young 
and  old,  seeming  himself  to  be  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  the  early  missionaries  to  the  red  man,  of  whom 
Parkman  tells,  and  such  a  man,  full  of  the  spirit  of 
brotherly  love  and  kindliness,  the  early  settlers  here 
might  have  dubbed  Brother  Black  Robe,  as  they  did 
the  pioneer  priests  of  that  day. 


282       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

So  to  Wikwemikong,  on  the  Grand  Manitoulln, 
would  the  sextet  hie  them,  and  there  found  fine  large 
ecclesiastical  edifices,  a  neat,  comfortable  village,  a 
contented  community.  Preparations  for  a  pictur- 
esque out-door  festival  were  in  progress,  and  deft 
fingers,  which  turn  out  such  interesting  and  original 
quill-embroideries,  were  fashioning,  from  paper,  quite 
creditable  representations  of  dainty  blossoms  from 
the  nun's  garden,  with  which  arches  and  designs 
were  to  be  ornamented.  These  were  also  to  be  held 
in  place  by  means  of  the  woodman's  cord,  made  from 
soaked,  beaten  and  twisted  elm  bark.  Bright  eyes 
and  earnest  faces  in  school  room  indicated  that 
pupils  would  do  credit  to  their  instructors;  and  one 
member  of  the  Investigating  Committee  (as  the 
sextet  called  themselves)  related  a  reminiscence  of  an 
ancestor's  Dominie-days.  When  he  called  upon  a 
heedless  hobble-de-hoy  to  "  give  the  parts  of  speech  " 
he  was  answered:  "  Ortho-graffy,  Etty-mol-o-jee, 
Swine-tax  and  Paras-«ody,"  and  another  (scintillant 
scion  of  Puritan  stock),  on  being  requested  to  read: 

His  head  was  silvered  o'er  with  age. 
And  long  experience  made  him  sage, 

rendered  it: 

His  head  was  shivered  o'er  with  eggs. 
And  long  expungence  made  him  sag! 

Needless  to  say  that  the  proverbial  caution,  as 
well  as  the  famed  keen  sight  of  the  Children  of  the 
Forest,  would  prevent  their  making  such  exhibition 
as  that! 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  283 

This  region  might  also  have  been  a  favorite  resort 
of  the  Great  Wind  Blower,  or  Giant  Eagle,  who 
was  checked  and  curbed  on  Bay  Chaleur  by  Gloos- 
cap;  and  the  game  of  battledoor  and  shuttlecock, 
which  the  Genii  of  the  Great  Lakes  play,  was  noted 
by  Marquette,  in  1670.  He  remarked  that:  "They 
seem  incessantly  tossing  ball  at  each  other.  No 
sooner  has  the  wind  ceased  blowing  from  Lake  Mich- 
igan than  Lake  Huron  hurls  back  the  gale  it  has 
received,  and  Lake  Superior  in  its  turn  sends  forth 


A  Wayside  Watering  Trough. 

its  blast  from  another  quarter,  and  thus  the  game 
is  played  from  one  to  the  other;  and  as  these  lakes 
are  of  vast  extent  the  winds  cannot  be  otherwise 
than   boisterous,  especially  during  the  autumn." 

In  the  "  Relations  des  Jesuits  "  Pere  Marquette 
said  that  when  he  attempted  to  tell  the  Indians  of 
the  crucifixion  they  asked,  "  Where  was  that  done  — 
here  in  America?  "  He  answered,  "  No;  this  dread- 
ful crime  was  committed  in  the  old  country."     Then 


^84       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

thej  queried :  "  By  Indians  or  white  people  ?  "  and 
when  he  replied :  "  By  white  people  called  Jews," 
they  retorted :  "  We  had  no  part  in  this  great 
crime,  killing  your  God.  You  white  people  must 
make  restitution ! " 

"  Mudjekeewis,"  "Father  of  the  Winds  of 
Heaven,"  who  is  also  known  as  "  Kabeyun,"  "  the 
West  Wind,"  sent  his  most  favoring  breezes  on  this 
occasion,  and  when  the  tourists,  on  the  return  trip, 
gazed  out  and  up  the  North  Channel  (mentally  plan- 
ning further  explorations  thitherward)  the  skipper 
was  persuaded  to   relate  a 

LEGEND    OF    MANITOULIN. 

The  Ottawas  settled  about  the  middle  of  the  island, 
where  there  is  a  large  lake,  and  there  was  much 
game,  large  and  small ;  the  land,  too,  was  fertile,  and 
they  lived  in  peace  and  comfort  many  centuries  in 
this  "  Home  of  Good  Spirits."  Kabenaw,  the 
largest  man  in  the  tribe,  was  their  greatest  warrior 
and  prophet,  and  attained  supernatural  power.  At 
the  time  when  he  was  a  young  brave,  undergoing 
fasts  to  prepare  him  for  becoming  a  warrior,  as  was 
their  custom  (like  the  Crusaders),  he  was  frequently 
visited  by  a  giant  deity,  who  again  and  again  asked 
Kabenaw  why  he  did  not  offer  him  one  of  his 
people  as  a  sacrifice.  Kabenaw  refused,  but  being 
still  entreated,  finally  promised  that  if  the  "  Great 
One  "  would  assist  him  he  would  give  as  a  sacrifice 
his  prisoners  in  war.     This  medicine  man,  or  magi- 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM         285 

cian,  was  advised  to  set  lines  for  fish,  and  placed 
them  with  hooks  in  deep  water.  When  "  moons 
after,"  instead  of  going  to  see  what  he  had  caught, 
he  marched  to  the  forest  and  there  found  many  of 
his  lines,  "  and  each  one  with  a  bear  at  the  end,"  he 
returned  laden  with  food  for  winter,  and  all  the  tribe 
had  a  great  feast. 

In  the  Winnebago  tribe  was  a  great  man  called 
Yellow  Thunder,  who  they  thought  equal  to  Kabe- 
naw,  so  they  made  a  great  expedition  to  Manitoulin 
to  witness  a  contest  between  these  huge  warriors. 
By  his  supernatural  power  he  was  aware  of  what 
was  going  on,  and  told  his  people  to  prepare  for 
war.  Yellow  Thunder  landed  and  went  directly  to 
the  village  by  the  lake  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
and  Kabenaw  went  to  meet  the  invader.  They  cap- 
tured and  questioned  him  as  to  the  number  of  the 
Ottawas,  and  if  they  were  ready  to  fight,  whether 
Kabenaw  was  in  his  tepee  (lodge)  or  gone  hunting, 
and  were  answered  that  the  people  were  ready  for 
battle,  but  the  Great  Warrior  was  not  at  home. 
Then  the  Winnebagoes  tied  their  informant,  put  him 
in  a  pit,  covering  the  opening  with  logs,  bark,  stones 
and  earth;  but  the  captive,  by  his  supernatural 
power,  released  himself,  and  when  he  came  to  the 
village  told  his  people  to  be  prepared  for  war. 

Next  day  there  was  a  great  battle,  but  the  Giant 
Magician  remained  in  his  lodge,  while  Yellow  Thun- 
der, painted  and  hideous  as  a  demon,  strode  about, 
calling  on  his  rival  to  come  out.     The  people  told 


286       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

him  it  was  their  great  man  whom  the  Winnebago 
giant  had  buried,  and  Yellow  Thunder  was  exultant, 
thinking  he  had  conquered  the  Ottawas;  but  then  in 
a  few  moments  Kabenaw  came  out  of  the  lodge,  ar- 
rayed in  black  bear  skins,  and  carrying  a  huge  war 
club, —  such  an  extraordinarily  magnificent  figure 
that  Yellow  Thunder  was  overawed,  though  he  did 
not  dare  to  back  out  lest  his  people  should  call  him 
"  Shangodayah  " —  coward.  He  was  soon  slain,  and 
the  Winnebagoes,  acknowledging  themselves  con- 
quered, begged  to  be  allowed  to  depart  in  peace. 
After  this  Kabenaw  became  tired  of  living,  but,  being 
supernatural,  could  not  die  unless  by  such  means  as 
he  should  decide.  So  he  allowed  his  enemies  to  cap- 
ture, bind  and  throw  him  in  the  lake,  but  he  reap- 
peared. Then  he  told  them  they  must  cut  the  flesh 
from  his  bones,  each  brave  a  piece,  and  these  scat- 
tered through  the  land  formed  the  red  and  white 
streaked  rocks  (the  red  representing  his  flesh,  the 
white  the  muscle),  while  his  skeleton  formed  the 
mountain  chain,  as  these  are  all  to  be  seen  at  the 
present  day. 

Marquette  called  the  Hurons  "  Etontontathrons," 
and  Nicholas  Perot  spoke  of  the  manitoulin  as  the 
"Island  of  Outaouas "  (Ottawas),  "which  extends 
the  length  of  Lake  Huron ;  "  but  that  was  certainly 
"  stretching  it "  as  extravagantly  as  did  early  navi- 
gators the  limits  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.^  Perot  was 
sent  to  a  council,  of  Indians  in  1671,  and  describes. 


» Cape  Sable,  N.  S.,  to  Cape  Cod,  Mass. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  287 

in  quaintly  interesting  style,  the  ceremony  of  taking 
possession  of  the  country  about  the  Great  Lakes,  on 
behalf  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  declaring  the  people  pro- 
tegees and  subjects  of  the  King. 

In  1634  Jean  Nicolet  journeyed  by  the  Ottawa 
River,  Lake  Nipissing  and  Georgian  Bay,  "  towards 
the  land  of  the  Winnebagoes ; "  he  was  conveyed  by 
seven  friendly  Indians  in  birch-bark  canoes.  He 
met  the  "  Nation  of  Beavers " — "  ahmeek,"  or, 
"  amik  "  beaver  —  called  Amikouets,  who  lived  orig- 
inally on  the  Isles  du  Castor  in  Lake  Michigan, 
afterwards  on  the  Manitoulin.  The  French  called 
them  "  Nez  perces,"  as  they  wore  ornaments  and 
feathers  thrust  through  the  cartilege  between  the 
nostrils. 

The  free-born  original  owners  of  the  vast  country 
were  proud  of  their  status  and  possessions  (natural 
aristocrats)  and  the  "  totem  "  was  their  coat  of  arms ; 
each  tribe  having  its  own  emblem.  The  symbol  of 
the  Ottawas  was  the  moose ;  of  the  Roquisor  Noquets, 
the  bear, —  from  "  no-ka  "  bear,  etc.  The  French 
called  the  Algonquin,  Ojibiwas,  (Ojibways)  and 
Chippewas,  in  this  region,  and  at  the  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  "  Saulteurs,"  and  the  Sioux  called  them  Rar- 
atwans,  "  people  of  the  falls."  The  French  also 
called  the  Indians  of  Fox  River  Les  Renards  and 
Musquakies.  These  were  the  Mascoutins  of  whom 
Champlain  tells  in  1615.  From  them  Nicolet  heard 
of  the  "  great  sea,"  Superior,  and  the  Mississippi  — 
"  missi,"  great ;  "  sepe,"  water.     "  The  country  west- 


288       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ward  from  Quebec,  and  southward  to  and  along  the 
Ohio  River,  to  the  west  boundary  of  what  is  now 
Minnesota,  and  all  the  country  drained  into  Lakes 
Superior  and  Huron,  was  called  Michilimackinac  ^ — 
the  land  of  the  great  turtle.  The  nine  Iroquois 
tribes  were  divided  into  two  divisions  of  four  or  five 
tribes  each;  some  of  these  were  called  Atiniathan, 
and  known  as  the  Tortoise  tribe.  Their  tradition 
was,  that  when  the  Master  of  Life  made  the  earth. 
He  placed  it  on  a  tortoise,  and  when  there  were  earth- 
quakes they  were  caused  by  trembling  of  the  tortoise. 
(There  is  an  Oriental  myth  similar  to  this.)  Some 
of  the  Huron  bands  had  for  totems,  or  tribe  sym- 
bols, the  tortoise,  bear  and  plover;  and  with  them, 
as  with  the  Iroquois,  the  bear  was  brother  to  the 
tortoise;  yet  they  were  not  on  fraternal  terms,  ac- 
cording to  a  son  of  Chief  Black  Hawk,  who  tells  of 
their  fighting  to  extermination  at  Mackinac  Island. 
These  Summer  Ramblers  having  enjoyed  long  so- 
journs on  the  St.  Lawrence,  amid  its  famous  Isles, 
were  resolved  to  study  to  best  advantage  the  be- 
witching archipelago  of  the  Georgian  Bay,  and  there- 
fore embarked  at  Penetanguishene  (now  generally 
abbreviated  to  Penetang)  and  then  made  sojourns  at 
several  picturesque  and  restful  little  summer  colonies, 
nooks  and  ports  en  route  to  their  objective  point. 

Most  romantic  and  fascinating  it  is  to  travel,  in 
small  craft,  inside  the  chain  of  isles  to  the  East  of 
Chemaunaning,  to  French  River,  and  thence  to  Lake 


1  Belonging  to  the  turtle  tribe  of  Indians  is  the  supposition. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM 


289 


Nipissing;  and  if  around  the  camp-fire, —  to  the  ac- 
companiment of  crackhng  birch  and  murmuring 
pines, —  the  guide  relates  legends,  another  interest  is 
added  to  the  attractions  of  that  charming  sheet  of 
water.  In  his  reminiscences  of  former  visits  he  may 
tell  of  methods  of  trading  with  Indians  in  olden  time ; 
that  "  the  weight  of  the  hand  in  the  scale  stood  for 
one  pound,  of  the  foot  two  pounds ; "  that  "  liquor 
was  sold  by  measuring  with  a  woman's  thimble;  and 


An  Antique  "Quatre  Roux.' 


one  beaver  skin  was  exchanged  for  a  double  handful 
of  salt ;  "  and  "  Lo,  the  poor  Indian,"  was  defrauded. 
He  will  tell  of  a  friend  at  a  Hudson's  Bay  post, 
located  in  that  district,  who  keeps  some  old  records, 
or  bills,  on  which  a  drawing  of  a  pig  with  a  certain 
number  of  strokes  beside  it  signified  so  many  barrels 
of  pork;  a  picture  of  a  powder  horn  and  numerous 
scratches  meant  such  number  of  pounds  of  shot,  and 
so  on. 


290       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

LEGENDS    OF    NIPISSING. 

The  Ottawas  continually  moved  to  the  northwest, 
because  of  their  deadly  enemies,  the  Iroquois.  Thus 
they  came  to  a  beautiful  lake,  which  they  named 
Ke-tchi-ne-bissing,  and  there  stopped  and  occupied 
the  surrounding  country,  forming  great  villages 
where  they  resided  for  ages.  At  last  they  became 
discontented,  possibly  imbued  with  desire  to  roam 
again,  and  concluded  that  the  place  was  haunted  by 
a  presiding  deity,  who  was  not  favorable  to  them. 
A  woman  went  to  the  beach  of  Lake  Ketchinebissing 
to  wash  clothes,  taking  her  infant,  which  was  tied  to 
a  board  in  Indian  fashion,  and  placing  it  near  the 
edge  of  the  water  that  it  might  be  amused  by 
watching  her  while  at  work.  She  ran  to  the  wigwam 
for  something,  and  on  her  return  found  the  child 
gone.  Frantically  she  flew  to  the  village,  screaming 
and  crying  that  her  child  was  stolen ;  and  all  the 
people  turned  out  to  search,  but  no  trace  of  the 
missing  child  was  found.  A  few  days  later  two 
lovers  sat  on  the  highest  hillock  back  of  the  village, 
and  "  while  talking  very  much  love  to  each  other  " 
(as  the  Indian  narrator  amusingly  expressed  it) 
they  heard  an  infant's  cry,  and,  strangely  enough, 
the  sound  appeared  to  come  from  the  earth  beneath 
their  feet.  Terribly  frightened  they  ran  to  the  vil- 
lage and  told  the  people,  who  called  their  magicians 
or  medicine  men  together  to  divine  the  mystery ;  and 
some   of  these   "  workers   of  strange   incantations " 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  ^91 

went  into  a  state  of  clairvoyance,  "  which  was  a 
common  practice  among  Indians  at  that  time." 
Then  the  chief  magician  went  to  the  beach  and 
plunged  into  the  water,  remaining  invisible  for  a 
long  time.  When  he  returned  he  reported  that  he 
had  found  an  opening  in  the  rock, —  in  deep  water 
far  out, —  which  led  to  a  passage  reaching  toward 
the  top  of  the  hill  where  the  amorous  couple  had 
been  sitting  when  they  heard  the  child's  wail.^  He 
thought  the  child  had  been  conveyed  through  this 
by  an  evil  monster.  Another  council  was  held,  and 
magicians  decided  to  dig  down  in  the  hill  to  reach 
this  passage.  The  whole  city  turned  out  to  dig, 
and  finally  came  to  the  passage  in  the  hill.  From 
this  two  monsters  rushed  out, —  one,  "  as  large  as  a 
wolf,  jet  black,  but  with  a  flaming  tail,"  escaped  and 
plunged  in  the  lake ;  the  other,  "  in  the  form  of  a 
great  bear,  was  pounded  to  death "  by  the  Abo- 
rigines. After  this  the  people  continued  digging 
and  found  the  identical  child,  but  it  was  dead,  the 
first  monster  having  killed  it  just  before  he  came 
forth  by  inserting  his  "  great  claws  in  the  top  of  the 
child's  head  as  revenge."  Then  the  Indians  made  a 
great  feast  and  roasted  the  great  bear.  A  depres- 
sion in  the  earth  where  this  excavation  was  made  and 
the  monsters  came  out  is  said  to  be  visible  to  this 
day. 

1  Hanging  Lake  in  Colorado  is  fed  by  an  immense  spring 
which  gushes  from  the  rocks  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  water, 
and  it  is  said  that  venturesome  explorers  dashing  through  this 
tdri'ent  have  exiamined  many  caverns  under  the  bed  of  the  lake. 


292       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

From  the  Indian  chief,  "  L'Oiseau  Noir  "  (Black 
Hawk),  came  the  legend  which  Longfellow  tells  in 
"  Hiawatha's  Fishing."  The  story  was  that  Nenaw- 
bozhoo  learned  of  a  great  fish,  living  in  Nipissing, 
which  was  so  huge  and  ferocious  that  it  would  swal- 
low men  in  their  boats  "  like  swallowing  a  little  clam 
in  the  shell."  He  decided  that  it  should  be  disposed 
of,  so  he  went  to  the  lake  in  his  canoe,  singing 
jeering  songs  to  taunt  and  entice  the  monster.  At 
last  the  great  fish  came  out  and  gulped  down  the 
great  Indian  and  his  craft;  but  that  was  just  what 
he  wanted,  and  with  his  weapons  he  "  caused  such  pain 
to  the  monster  that  it  became  crazy  and  started  at 
full  speed;  but,  being  wild  with  pain,  it  could  not 
steer  or  stop,  and  so  ran  on  land  and  expired." 
Nenawbozhoo  came  out,  like  Jonah,  went  home  and 
smoked  his  pipe,  "  satisfied  that  he  had  saved  many 
people  by  disposing  of  the  huge  fish."  ^ 

The  Indians  supposed  Lake  Nipissing, — "  Region 
of  Fine  Lands  and  Great  Fish," — to  be  the  source 
of  the  Ottawa  River.  They  probably  passed  out 
from  the  lake  through  a  stream  at  the  east  shore, 
by  which  they  traveled  through  Nasbonsing  and 
Talon  lakes  to  Mattawan  River,  which  flows  into  the 


1  Here,  as  in  the  East,  Biblical  lore,  Oriental  legend,  and 
Norse  mythology,  were  curiously  mingled  by  the  Indians.  It 
is  known  that  a  sea  monster  figured  in  Oriental  folk  lore;  and 
a  well-known  modern  Bible  student  and  exponent  closed  a 
series  of  studies  of  the  book  of  Jonah  with  the  statement 
that  the  story  of  the  prophet  and  the  whale  "  was  not  historical 
but  allegorical."  Jonah  personified  Israel,  the  whale  here- 
nomlas  (Babylonians)  who  carried  them  away  captive.  They 
were  delivered  from  captivity  as  Jonah  was  delivered. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  S93 

Ottawa.  The  source  of  the  Ottawa  is  in  small  lakes, 
Lac  des  Quinze  and  Lake  Myizowaja,  north  of  Lake 
Temiscamingue ;  the  latter  now  "  opening  up  "  as  a 
sportsmen's   resort. 

The  confreres  tried  to  picture  in  mental  vision 
these  smiling  scenes  in  hyperborean  aspect,  when: — 

O'er  all  the  dreary  northland. 
Mighty  Peboan,  the  Winter, 
Breathing  on  the  lakes  and  rivers, 
Into  stone  had  changed  their  waters; 

and  when 

The  plains  were  strewn  with  whiteness. 

One  uninterrupted  level, 

As  if,  stooping,  the  Creator 

With  His  hand  had  smoothed  them  over. 

After  navigation  closes,  however  (vide  l^egis)y 
how  quickly  and  gaily  in  their  sleighs  they  can  skim 
over  to  ports  on  the  Great  Isle,  or  visit  friends  fifty 
miles  distant  on  the  north  shore.  Then  the  hunt,  on 
snowshoes;  fishing  through  the  ice;  weekly  merry- 
makings, with  their  favorite  "  gigue,"  which  they 
dance  with  grace  and  agility. 

These  and  other  pleasures  and  avocations  are  quite 
sufficient  to  dispel  "  indigoes,"  if  such  cheerful  people 
could  ever  be  inclined  to  see  shades  of  that  hue  in 
their  mental  landscape.  And  why,  in  local  parlance, 
should  such  an  interesting  man  be  known  by  such  re- 
markable cognomen  as  Pea-nut.''  Even  masculine 
curiosity  must  be  aroused  by  such  atrocity;  and  at 
last  was  evoked :  — 


294       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


An'  so  you  will  dat  I  tell  you  how  I  coom  by 
dat  name  ?  —  but  yes,  it  is  wot  you  call  f onnee ;  and 
it  is  gif  me  par  un  jeun  Anglais,  ven  I  haf  been 
mit  eem  in  de  fores'  for  he  mek  measure  de  big 
tree ;  he  Sirveyor,  wot  you  call.  'Ee  is  farceur,  an  'ee 
mek  zhoke  mit  me, —  oh  'ee  is  drole !  Eh  bien,  my 
nem  is  Penneaut,  an'  zo  you  zee  'ow  'ee  chenge  dat. 
Mon  Bisai'eul, —  dat  is  wot  you  call  great-gran'- 
fadther, —  was  un  gentil-homme  de  la  belle  France, 
an'  'ee  kem  'ere  de  Nouvelle  France  wid  de  yoong 
mens  of  dat  time;  dey  vish  to  zee  de  new  countree, 
an'  dey  haf  de  vish  for  de  aventure.  (My  yoong 
Englisher,  'ee  zay,  "  Yes,  dat  is  wot  we  call  un  soldat 
de  la  fortune.")  Ver'  goot,  'ee  lif  'ere  manee  year, 
an'  'ee  is  marry  wid  la  belle  sauvage,  an  'ee  is  bickum 
de  great  man  off  de  blace.  An'  'ees  zon,  mon  gran'- 
pere,  is  alzo  de  gran'  'oontare,  de  trappeur,  de 
coureur-du-bois,  an'  zo  my  fadther,  'ee  haf  mos'  de 
zame  kin'  off  life;  an'  I  vas  learn  all  dose  tings  from 
'eem.  Vel,  my  fadther  is  vork  vor  de  Godson  Bay 
Coompnee,  an'  one  time  dere  is  come  un  beeg  man 
'oo  zay  'ee  is  collec'  vor  de  Fur  Coompnee,  on'  'ee 
vish  'eem  for  bring  ees  skin  and  go  wit  'eem  to  de 
Chief  Factor  (wot  you  call)  at  La  Cloche.  Zo  dey 
haf  mooch  paquets  off  skeen,  un  dey  drive  on  de 
eisse;  but  it  vas  late  in  de  zeezon,  an'  de  glace  is 
veek,  an'  de  'orse  broke  throo  de  eisse,  an'  de  men 
varra  mooch  scare.     De  oder  man  'ee  tooken  off  'ees 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  295 

mitaine  for  better  ole  de  rene,  an'  'ees  'an's  is  freeze. 
Dey  haf  to  let  de  'orse  an'  de  traineau  go  for  zave 
demself  s ;  an'  my  gran'f  adther  'ee  drag  de  etran- 
gere  back  to  safe  blace,  an'  zese  one  paquet  off  de 
skeen  bifor  de  res'  disap'r  een  de  vatere;  an'  dey 
start  for  walk  to  de  Oodson  Bay  post.  My  gran'- 
fadtlier  haf  de  paquet  on  'ees  back,  an'  after  wile  'ee 
fell  in  'ole,  an'  de  oder  man, —  it  was  tres,  f ortement, 
difficile,  wit  'ees  zore  'ans, —  catched  'ole  of  dees  beeg 
rouleau,  lak  wot  you  call  nap-sacque,  an'  'ee  try  for 
pool  'eem  out.  De  edge  vas  brekin'  an'  zinkin',  but 
'ee  roll  'eemzelf  back  vrom  de  'ole,  an'  zo  dey  got 
avay  vrom  dat  dangerzom  blace.  Wen  dey  reech  de 
Pos'  'ouse  my  gran'fadther  roob  de  man's  zore  'ans 
wit  znow,  an'  den  'ee  mek  cataplasm  off  herbes  medi- 
cinales,  vich  'ee  mek  zoft  wit  de  mallet.  De  nex'  day 
'ee  tole  de  oder  man  dat  'ee  mus'  pool  off  de  skeen, 
vich  vas  blistare,  like  as  it  vas  burn ;  an'  de  man 
zay,  "  Vich  off  your  martere  vas  it,  dat  was  flay 
alife?  "  but  'ee  soomit,  an'  'ee  nevare  skritch !  Den 
my  gran'pere  'ee  put  on  salf  (wot  you  call),  dat 
is,  onguent;  an'  aftere,  'ee  wrap  de  'ans  in  fresh 
mus'rat  skeen,  wit  de  raw  zide  nex'  'ees  flesh,  an'  den 
'ee  mek  de  muff  of  oder  fur,  an'  zo  'ee  could  go  on 
'ees  joumee.-^  Bifore  'ee  went  'ee  tole  my  gran'- 
fadther dat  'ee  is  not  de  trappeur,  but  'ee  is  coom 
dere  for  ftn*  'eem;  an'  'ee  zay  dat  'ee  is  an'  agen' 


1  Fur  sales  in  olden  time  were  peculiarly  conducted.  "  A 
lighted  candle  with  pins  stuck  in  at  intervals  was  put  up. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  the  announcement  '  sales  by  inch  of 
candle.'     Bids  were  received  as  the  candle  burned  from  pin  to 


296       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

off  an'  avocat  een  France.  'Ee  zay  dat  my  gran'- 
fadther  name  ees  Perenoptere,  an'  dat  dere  ees 
prop'ty  vor  'eem  een  France.  Every  von  haf 
suppos'  dat  de  prop'ty  vood  nevare  be  claim,  an' 
some  man  vich  haf  no  right  is  possess  it;  but  dis 
oder  man  'af  promis'  dat  'ee  vould  try  for  fin'  my 
gran'fadther.  But  dis  vas  an  ^d7cus'  for  'eem  get 
send  to  Amerique;  an'  'ee  vas  resolf  dat  ^ee  vood 
get  dat  prop'ty  een  'ees  'ans ;  but  'ee  'ad  f  oun'  de  man 
vor  'oom  'ee  zearch  vas  a  goot  man,  an'  'ee  vas 
shame;  an'  den  'ee  'ad  safe  'ees  Hfe.  My  gran'- 
fadther zay  yes,  'ee  haf  know  dis,  about  de  name  an' 
de  prop'ty,  vor  'ees  fadther  'ad  tole  'eem,  an'  vat  'ee 
mus'  do  for  claim  eet;  ven  som  one  of  de  famlee  in 
France  go  for  die;  but  'ee  haf  not  'ad  de  means  for 
hear,  or  for  go ;  an'  anny'ow  'ee  vas  prif are  for  leev 
'ere.  'Ee  af  zhow  dis  agen'  'ees  crete  heraldique,  vor 
vy  'ee  vas  call  L'Oiseau  Noir.  Dis  ees  de  name  off 
'ees  fam'ly,  vor  de  Perenoptere  ees  de  beeg  bird  off  de 
Pyrenees;  an'  ven  'ees  ancetre  'ees  en  de  Crusad' 
'ee  'af  I'oiseau  noir  on  'ees  bouclier,  vot  you  call 
shiel'.  My  gran'fadther  av'  tole  de  agen'  dat  'ee 
is  alzo  safe  'ees  life,  ven  'ee  pool  'eem  out  de  watare ; 
zo  dey  are  goot  fren'.  An'  aftervorts  dis  man  sen' 
to  'eem,  all  de  time,  efery  mont',  de  monee  from  de 
esisX.  een  France.  Den  my  gran'fadther  'ee  af  'elp 
all  dose  peopl'  vot  af  been  goot  to  'eem ;  all  de  time, 


pin ;  '*  and  as  the  candles  in  those  days  were  very  small  and 
poor  it  was  necessary  to  "  look  alive."  The  last  bid  was  the 
one  before  the  candle  —  a  pencil-like  thing  —  went  out,  and  to 
that  bidder  went  the  furs. 


IN  KEEWAYDIN'S  REALM  297 

wen  day  seek,  or  wen  delr  crops  ees  not  goot,  or  wen 
anyding  coom  wot  gif  dem  drouple;  an'  dey  lofe 
'eem  lak  'ee  vas  Seigneur,  exactement  lak  eet  was  een 
de  Province  in  ole  time." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  "  ower  true  tale  "  Bon 
remarked :  "  Though  Mistress  Hauton  has  been 
pitying  us,  and  no  doubt  satirically  quoting  from 
Goldsmith,  we  know  she  is  jealous !  We  are  '  re- 
mote '  because  we  prefer  to  be, —  and  that  enhances 
our  pleasure, —  but  the  rest  does  not  apply ;  for  cer- 
tainly, with  such  kindly  folk  to  minister  to  us,  we  are 
not  *  unfriended ; '  with  The  Incorrigible  as  Court 
Jester,  we  cannot  be  *  melancholy,'  and  with  the 
Prime  Mover  to  prod  us  in  our  expeditions,  neither 
can  we  be  '  slow.'  " 

When  at  last  the  day  of  departure  came, —  alas, 
that  it  could  no  longer  be  deferred!  —  the  friends 
seemed  to  be  of  one  mind,  as  they  warbled  in  unison 

At  last,  then,  from  this  beauteous  scene. 
We're  forced  to  turn  away; 
To  come  again  we  surely  mean. 
Ere  many  another  day. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 


S99 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 

WHEN  the  Pioneer,  the  Dabbler,  the  Scriv- 
ener, with  Bon,  Ben,  Beau,  and  the  Incorri- 
gible put  their  heads  together  to  plan  vaca- 
tion, unanimous  was  the  decision  that  no  lure  of 
foreign  tour  might,  could,  would  or  should  offer 
stronger  inducement  than  the  pleasure  of  further 
wanderings  in  their  own  "  Blessed  Country ;  "  and 
comparing  the  glories  and  fascinations  of  Nature's 
Marvels  with  those  which  she  displays  in  Europe. 

Speeding  along  most  agreeably,  the  travelers  were 
thrilled  with  wonder  and  filled  with  admiration  for 
the  builders  of  the  steel  road ;  who  in  its  construction 
solved  great  problems,  and  produced  marvels  of  en- 
gineering skill.  As  the  train  "  pursued  the  even 
tenor  of  its  way  "  and  was 

Rumbling  under  archways. 
Trundling  over  bridges. 
Thundering  into  tunnels. 
Speeding  over  ridges; 

the  Scrivener  brought  forth  a  rhyme  of  olden  time, 
in  which  a  relative  had  described  experiences  in  these 
regions.  This  being  voted  an  appropriate  while- 
hour  for  the  journey,  the  Scrivetier  was  installed  as 
Reiader  fdrthwith. 

SOI 


302       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 
"CLICK." 

A  STOBY  OF  THE  PLAINS.      BY  NUF  CED. 

Well,  yes,  it's  rather  lonesome,  but  then  I  don't  complain, 
Tho'  I  can't  help  longing  sometimes  for  my  old  home  again. 
It's  so  many  years  ago  now,  since  first  I  came  out  West, 
I've  lost  all  claim  on  home  and  friends,  and  guess  it's  for  the 

best. 
That  by  this  fine  Trans.  Cont.  we  faithfully  should  stick. 
Though  it  is  a  rough  old  prospect  for  such  a  gal  as  Click ! 
Yes,  that's  her  by  the  wood-pile,  with  the  sunshine  in  her  hair, 
"  As  pretty  as  a  picture  " —  that's  where  you  hit  it  square ! 
And  she's  twice  as  good  as  pretty,  but  haven't  you  heard  tell 
How  she  and  I  hitched  horses?     Haven't  they  told  you?    Well, 
It's  a  long  and  mournful  story,  a  yarn  of  long  ago  — 
But,  then,  I'll  spin  it  for  you,  if  you  really  care  to  know. 
In  ^66  I  came  here,  the  road  was  building  then. 
And  the  very  foremost  track  hands  had  only  reached  Cheyenne, 
But  they  pushed  along  right  bravely  and  you  can't  imagine 

how 
They  just  walked  across  the  prairie  with  that  ten-yoke  ditch- 
ing plough. 
That   went  ahead  and  banked   the  earth   as   straight   as   any 

string. 
All  ready  for  the  ties  and  rails  —  it  just  beat  everything. 
Why,  here's  the  end  at  morning,  but  when  they  stopped   at 

night. 
The  whole  great  gang  of  men  and  beasts  were  gone  clean  out 

of  sight. 
And  it  wasn't  long  before  the  tanks  for  watering  the  train 
Were  left  the  only  blessed  thing  upon  the  lonesome  plain. 
Alongside  worked  the  wire  gang,  one  set  a  digging  holes. 
The  next  unloading,  hoisting  up  and  dropping  in  the  poles. 
And  next  the  wire  was  paid  out,  and  then  we  chaps  would 

climb 
And  hitch  it  to  the  glasses  in  the  quickest  kind  of  time. 
They  made  us  work  our  passage  and  we  were  not  loath  to  stay. 
For  each  man  knew  his  turn  might  come  to  drop  out  any  day! 
And  the  farther  west  we  traveled  the  worse  the  chances  grew, 
For  to  boss  an  office  out  there  then  was  a  prospect  mighty 

blue! 
We  forged  along  past  Laramie  and  left  two  men  out  there, 
Then  ten  more  miles  still  farther  on  we  dropped  another  pair; 
Another  ten  miles  left  behind,  it  came  my  turn  to  stop. 
And  right  out  on  the  prairie  they  let  their  victims  drop, 
WJtiile  Still  the  living*  moving  mass  kept  onward  on  its  way. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  303 

And  left  us  in  the  distance  before  the  close  of  day. 
"  Not  a  bad  place  after  all? "    Well,  now,  you  may  think  so, 
But  'twasn't  quite  the  place  'tis  now,  some  ten  long  years  ago ! 
Then,  all  we  had  was  that  track  tank  that's  standing  over  there, 
And  beneath  it  and  half  underground,  a  gloomy  sort  of  lair. 
In  which  we  seven  made  the  best  to  take  whate'er  might  come. 
And  settled  down  to  realize  that  this  must  be  our  home. 
The  prospect  wasn't  beautiful !     A  rough  bunk  for  a  bed, 
A  rather  leaky  roof  and  tons  of  water  overhead. 
A  stock  of  Spencer  carbines  slung  up  against  the  wall. 
Loop-holes  cut  to  shoot  at  "  reds,"  and  —  well,  sir,  that  was  all. 
There  was  me  and  Jones,  the  foreman  —  his  other  name  was 

Bill  — 
And  five  track  hands  who  drank  like  sin,  as  'tis  often  that  they 

will. 
Daytimes  they  would  all  be  out  when  anything  was  wrong, 
And  leave  me  with  the  instrument  the  blessed  whole  day  long. 
With  nothing  but  the  clicking  to  break  the  silence  there. 
And  not  a  blessed  thing  to  do  —  I  solemnly  declare 
I  never  spent  such  long  hours  anywhere,  and  then 
It  would  be  long  past  midnight  before  Bill  brought  the  men. 
And  all  would  bundle  into  bunks,  with  barricaded  door. 
The    coyotes    howling    round    outside  —  within,    one  '  massive 

snore! 
'Twas  just  the  same  day  after  day,  we  only  had  one  train, 
Which  just  pulled  up  to  take  a  drink,  then  left  all  still  again. 
Then  we'd  go  through  the  papers,  the  business  cards  and  all, 
Then  sit  and  think  and  hate  ourselves,  and  listen  for  a  "  call." 
"Monotonous?"  You  bet  it  was,  and  grew  worse  day  by  day. 
Just  tied  up  in  that  prison  and  no  chance  to  get  away, 
But  when  the  winter  once  set  in  and  snowed  up  all  the  plain 
'Twas  even  worse,  and  each  one  wished  the  summer  back  again. 
Until  at  last  to  crown  our  woes  we  had  an  awful  storm 
Which  banked  us  in  and  chilled  us  so  we  couldn't  half  keep 

warm. 
The  road  was  blocked,  the  trains  snowed  in,  wire  open  East 

and  West, 
Our  wood  most  gone,  grub  getting  low,  and  —  well,  sir,  I'll  be 

blessed 
If  I  didn't  think  our  time  had  come  and  almost  gave  up  hope; 
I  believe,  sir,  I'd  have  hung  myself  if  I'd  only  had  a  rope! 
One  day  the  boys  on  snowshoes  went  plodding  off  to  see 
If  they  could  scare  up  any  game,  and  left  no  one  but  me 
Alone  beneath  that  water  tank,  the  office  to  defend. 
'Twas  rather  ticklish  business,  sir,  on  that  you  may  depend. 
For  we  had  had  some  visits  already  from  the  reds. 
And  scarce  a  night  passed  but  we  risked  being  hauled  out  of 

our  beds. 


304       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

The  boys  had  been  gone  several  hours;  no  sound  came  to  my 

ears. 
But  I  sat  there  a  trying  hard  to  laugh  away  my  fears, 
A  gazing  through  a  loophole,  as  hard  as  I  could  stare. 
When  all  at  once  I  saw  a  sight  that  fairly  raised  my  hair! 
Ten  creeping  blots  upon  the  snow!     It  gave  me  tingling  skin, 
For  those  mean  red  skinned  "  critters "  were  prowlin'   round 

agin' ! 
To  bar  the  door  and  get  the  guns  down  didn't  take  me  long. 
For  I  was  bound  I  wouldn't  sell  my  life  for  any  song. 
But  none  too  quick,  for  on  they  came,  as  saucy  as  you  please. 
No  doubt  expecting  certainly  to  gobble  me  with  ease, 
Just  sliding  on  the  crusted  snow  as  fast  as  they  could  come. 
Until  I  opened  with  a  shot  to  say  I  was  "  to  hum," 
One  redskin  dropped  right  in  his  tracks,  and  with  a  fearful  yell 
They  blazed  away  and  round  that  ranch  the  bullets  flew  like 

—  well, 
'Twas  just  the  warmest  circus,  sir,  that  ever  I  was  in, 
As  from  all  sides  they  rushed  on  me,  each  howling;  such  a  din! 
But  every  time  they  stormed  the  door  I  lent  'em  some  more 

lead. 
And  every  time  they  ran  away  they  left  another  red. 
Until  at  last  they  all  drew  off  and  waited  for  the  night. 
And  then,  sir,  I  could  realize  mine  was  a  sorry  plight! 
For,  in  the  dark  they  hoped  that  they  could  take  me  unaware. 
And  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Bill  they  would  have  got  my  hair! 
For,  as  they  made  their  last  attack  and  battered  down  the  door, 
I  heard  his  faithful  carbine  speak,  and  fainted  on  the  floor. 
My  stars !  but  what  a  time  we  had  when  all  the  boys  came  in. 
And  all  the  reds  had  vanished,  scooted  through  thick  and  thin; 
It  would  have  done  your  heart  good,  sir,  to  have  been  with  us 

then. 
To  hear  Bill's  good,  plain  language,  and  the  cheers  of  all  the 

men! 
As  we  all  sat  about  the  stove  and  thanked  our  lucky  stars 
Our  hair  was  on,  and  we  were  safe,  behind  our  bolts  and  bars. 
And  Bill  told  how  he  heard  the  row,  and  made  the  boys  just 

"  climb  " 
And  how  they  had  arrived  there  in  the  very  nick  of  time. 
And  how  the  reds  had  scuttled  off  out  on  the  open  plain. 
Suddenly  we  heard  outside  a  long-drawn  sigh  of  pain. 
To  drop  the  bars,  throw  wide  the  door,  and  run  out,  we  weren't 

slow, 
And  right  outside  a  gasping  heap  lay  bleeding  on  the  snow. 
Bill  swore  he'd  leave  it  there  to  die,  and  started  back  to  bed. 
But  we  hadn't  quite  the  heart  for  that,  even  if  it  was  a  red; 
So  we  picked  it  up  and  bro't  it  in,  just  as  the  last  snow  flaw 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  305 

Threw  off  the  blanket  from  the  face,  and  found  it  was  a  — 

squaw ! 
Then  even  Bill  came  back  to  help,  at  least,  he  held  the  light. 
And   when   I   washed  and  dressed  the  wound  —  By   Jove,   sir, 

she  was  white! 
The  red  came  off,  her  face  and  arms  were  stained  and  smeared 

with  paint. 
And  washing  made  her  beautiful  and  white  as  any  saint! 
"How  came  she  there?"     Well,  sir,  that's  what  just  then  we 

hadn't  learned, 
But   there   she   was,   and   those   rough   men  —  I    tell   you    our 

hearts  burned. 
And  then,  why  all  just  humped  themselves  to  do  their  level  best 
And  help  me  in  my  doctoring;  they  wouldn't  let  me  rest. 
But  kept  a  bringing  this  and  that,  then  slid  off  on  the  sly 
To  hide  themselves  like  any  gals  and  have  a  quiet  cry; 
For  you  see  she  was  delirious  and  in  most  awful  pain  — 
I  never  want  to  pass  through  three  such  days  as  those  again. 
But  after  all  we  pulled  her  through,  and  she  began  to  mend. 
And  every  man  just  brightened  up,  on  that  j^ou  may  depend. 
We  then  inquired  her  story,  but  all  that  we  could  do 
Was  just  no  good,  for  she,  you  see,  could  only  jabber  Sioux. 
So,  as  she  kept  a  mending,  we  each  one  took  a  hand 
At  teaching  her  a  language  which  both  could  understand  — 
You   "don't  quite   get  my   meaning?"     Well,   by   the   powers 

above. 
Within  two  weeks,  sir,  every  man,  was  clean  gone  —  dead  in 

love! 
But  as  I'd  been  the  "  doctor,"  soon  each  man  was  taken  aback. 
For  it  wasn't  long  before  they  found  I  had  the  inside  track. 
And  in  the  spring,  one  balmy  day,  we  hopped  aboard  the  train, 
Ran  down  to  Laramie,  got  spliced,  and  traveled  home  again. 
Bill,  in   a  brand  new  "biled"   white  shirt,  stood  up   as   our 

"  best  man," 
And  how  the  rest  played  "bridesmaids,"  imagine  if  you  can! 
And  here  we  have  been  ever  since,  as  happy  as  you  please. 
And  here  I  guess  we'll  live  and  die,  two  steady  busy  bees. 
You  see  she  was  a  captive,  survivor  of  a  train 
Trav'ling    in    "  Prairie    Schooners "  i    'cross    this    stupendous 

plain. 
Her  folks  all  dead,  no  home,  no  friends,  so  you  can  plainly  see 
She's  quite  content  to  settle  down  and  plod  along  with  me. 

1  In  1907  a  vigorous  though  patriarchal-looking  man  of  77 
retraced  the  route  across  the  plains  in  a  Conestoga  wagon,  or 
"  Prairie  Schooner,"  drawn  by  oxen,  as  he  had  "  gone  out "  52 
years  before;  and  so  the  youth  of  the  "effete  East"  were 
favored  with  a  sight  of  a  genuine  Pioneer,  and  could  learn  of 
the  style  of  travel  of  the  settlers  of  the  great  West.    Thus 


806      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

"Her  name?"     Oh,  yes;  you  see,  sir,  when  she  first  came,  the 

tick 
Of  that  old  sounder  pleased  her  so  that  we  just  named  her 

"  Click." 
Come,  let  me  introduce  you  —  no,  hang  it,  there's  your  train  — 
Good-bye,  when  you  come  back,  sir,  just  drop  in  here  again. 

This  led  to  converse  on  the  subject  of  the  red  men, 
for  whom  much  sympathy  was  expressed  by  the  trav- 
elers, they  agreeing  that  it  was  not  strange  if  he 
had  rebelled  when  the  vast  realm  of  which  he  was 
original  proprietor  was  wrested  from  him,  and  he 
himself  driven  back,  almost  mile  by  mile.  The 
Canadian  Government  now  treats  him  wisely  and  well, 
and  is  making  of  the  former  "  Scourge  of  the 
Plains"  valuable  farmers,  herders  (or  "cowboys") 
lumber  workers  or  "  bushmen  " —  tho  not  of  the 
style  of  those  of  Australia  —  and  he  is  as  proud  of 
his  present  avocations  as  he  was  formerly  of  exploits 
in  hunting,  fishing,  trapping.  Yes,  "  the  red  man 
of  the  present  is  adjusting  himself  to  the  white  man's 
civilization." 

The  vacation  ramblers  seemed  to  think  that  a  taste 
of  mining  camp  life  should  be  added  to  their  former 
experiences ;  and  though  surprised  at  one  of  the 
party,  proving  recalcitrant;  but  he  was  informed 
that  he  would  not  be  solicited  to  invest,  and  the  septet 
found  themselves  ensconsed  in  a  log  cabin,  but  not  in 
unenviable  situation;  for  convenience,  comforts  and 


Ezra  Meeker,  whose  "  outfit "  the  septet  had  seen  on  its  way 
through  Eastern  cities,  proceeded  on  his  mission,  desiring  only 
to  ask  the  United  States  to  transform  the  "  old  trail "  into  a 
Government  highway  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Columbia  River. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  307 

society  were  not  to  be  sneered  at,  although  a  decided 
spice  of  Bohemianism  pervaded  their  daily  existence. 
Though  abiding  amid  snow-clad  summits  they  could 
be  dropped  by  the  "  cage  "  into  amazing  depths  of 
Nature's  storehouse,  could  study  smelters  and  scori- 
fiers,  with  ores  innumerable,  almost;  could  hob-nob 
with  students  of  ologies  and  osophies  —  their  next 
neighbors  being  Professors  and  emissaries  from  Un- 
iversities —  and  then  too  the  non-mythical  Eldorado 
and  Terra  Argentina  could  be  studied  almost  close 
at  hand.  One  member  of  the  party,  who  always 
seemed  to  scent  romance  even  mid  most  prosaic  sur- 
roundings, was  regaled  by  these  neighbors  with  a 
tale,  for  the  truth  of  which  they  vouched.     - 


THE   SHADOW. 

When,  many  years  ago,  a  young  man  had  ap- 
peared in  the  midst  of  the  great  settlement  and 
collection  of  brown  shacks,  seeming  inclined  to  locate, 
none  impeded,  or  would  say  him  nay ;  theirs  not  being 
the  right  to  question  whence  he  came,  or  his  object 
in  remaining.  There  were  undesirable  associates  to 
be  found  even  in  this  out-of-the-world  corner,  and 
the  stranger  seemed  to  be  bent  (under  such  direction) 
upon  "  going  to  the  Dickens "  (as  narrator  ex- 
pressed it)  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Yet  there  was 
one  self-constituted  guardian,  who  seemed  to  take 
cognizance  of  the  young  man's  proceedings  and 
watched  him  unawares.     Not  resembling  the  typical 


308       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

pictorial  and  supernatural  guardian,  this  one  was 
clad  in  garb  as  near  the  hue  of  the  rocks,  as  the 
Khaki  of  Eastern  soldiery  matches  sun-baked  Earth. 
"  Madame  Silverlocks "  rode  a  sturdy  Canadian 
pony,  traversed  mountains,  and  seemingly  inacces- 
sible wilds;  all  unarmed  save  with  remedies  against 
disease.  Thus  it  came  about  that  when  attending 
a  serious  case  in  a  miner's  family  there  was  "  a  dif- 
ference of  opinion  "  in  an  outlying  settlement  and 
men  drew  weapons  "  to  settle  it ; "  and  so  Madame 
M.D.,  the  only  professional  procurable,  was  rushed 
to  the  scene,  and  was  brought  face  to  face  with 
young  "  Wild  Oats,"  as  he  had  been  dubbed  by  his 
associates.  Although,  as  time  passed  the  residents 
of  Shack  Town  did  not  note  appreciable  change  in 
the  errant  youth,  Madame  Medico  had  hopes  that 
some  influence  for  good  was  being  felt,  and  that  a 
slumbering  better-self  might,  possibly,  some  time, 
be  aroused.  On  her  doorstep  appeared  bouquets 
brought  from  glacial  heights  at  one  time,  at  another 
proof  of  huntsman's  skill,  and  often  silent  evidence 
that  she  who  once  had  been  shadower  was  now  being 
shadowed.  One  night  a  wild  alarm  aroused  the  whole 
community,  for  the  demon  Flame  (the  most  dreaded 
visitant  of  such  spots)  seemed  to  have  broken  loose. 
Then  who  so  intrepid  and  clear-headed  as  that  same 
Wild  Oats,  who,  at  once  assuming  command,  or- 
ganized and  martialed  the  men  of  the  settlement, 
with  the  skill  of  an  old  campaigner.  Just  at  the 
point  where  the  fight  was  being  most  gallantly  con- 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  309 

ducted,  a  miner  from  an  outer  settlement  (where 
Madame  Silverlocks  had  so  devotedly  attended  his 
wife)  rushed  through  the  crowd  towards  the  M.D's 
office  shouting  "  Boys !  don't  you  know  the  mine 
Company  have  dynamite  stored  close  by  there!  Oh 
it's  hell!  "  Already  Wild  Oats  was  seen  carrying  out 
the  M.D.  and  afterwards  coolly  directing  removal  of 
her  possessions.  Then  such  a  roar  of  exultation 
rose  from  all  those  masculine  throats,  as  the  last 
timbers  fell,  and  the  danger  of  "  more  and  worse 
to  follow "  was  averted.  Although  serious  injury 
to  mine  machinery  and  appurtenances  was  revealed, 
and  no  possibility  of  securing  an  expert  for  repairs, 
then  who  but  Wild  Oats  stood  forth,  and  addressed 
one  of  the  College  men :  "  Professor,  I  felt  sure 
you  knew,  though  you've  been  good  enough  to  pre- 
tend you  did  not  recognize  me.  Yes,  I  was  a  scape 
grace  in  your  '  Varsity,'  a  wild  foolish  boy,  unde- 
serving of  the  least  of  the  advantages  which  were 
bestowed  upon  me,  and  which  I  did  not  appreciate 
till  after  my  summary  dismissal.  But  I  can  prove 
that  I  did  learn  something  from  dear  old  '  Uncle 
John '  of  the  mechanical  department  —  he  had  been 
a  R.  R.  locomotive  driver  in  his  youth  you  know  ^  — 
and  I  am  capable  of  repairing  the  mine  machinery, 
and  propose  to  '  turn  to  '  and  get  at  it  at  once." 

As  the  travelers  discussed  the  vicissitudes  of 
miners'  life,  and  meditated  upon  the  ignis  fatuus 
whose  alluring  magnet  not  only  drew  men  into  mo- 

1  Fact.    The  late  Prof.  Morris. 


310      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

rasses  but  into  the  depths  of  the  earth,  the  Pioneer 
seeming  in  cynical  mood  ejaculated:  "Don't  talk 
mines  to  me!  Mine,  miner,  minus,  is  the  way  I 
state  it;  and  I've  known  those  who  buried  more  in 
mines  than  they  ever  got  out  of  them."  Then, 
emulating  the  noted  Silas  Wegg  he  reeled  off  rhymes, 
for  which  the  Clipper  turned  out  a  silhouette  illus- 
tration. 


IGNIS  FATUUS. 

From  the  dawning  of  life  till  the  end  of  our  days 
How  strange  are  the  snares  which  Fate  for  us  lays  I 
From  the  time  when  the  tongue  first  essays  to  lisp 
Our  life  seems  a  long  chase  of  Will  o'  the  Wisp 
Who  just  at  the  instant  we'd  grasp  him,  alas! 
Proves  only  too  often  impalpable  gas. 

We  are  warned  by  the  wise  of  vain  shows  to  beware, 
But  each  boldly  cries  — "  Oh,  what  do  we  care 
For  your  doleful  croakings?"  and  onward  we  dash, 
Impetuous  and  rash,  till  in  Sloughs  of  Despond 
We  fall  with  a  splash.     Thence  arising  chagrined 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  311 

We  look  back  o'er  the  way  we  traversed  so  swiftly  and  gaily 

that  day 
And  decide  that  with  plain  Common  Sense  for  our  guide, 
Though  cares  may  assail,  and  ills  may  betide; 
Though  rough  be  the  path,  and  prosaic  the  way; 
Ere  the  end  we  shall  find  it  will  more  surely  pay 
Than  such  flights  of  fancy  as  led  us  astray. 

THE  LURE   OF  THE   HEIGHTS. 

What  channel  needs  our  faith  except  our  eyes? 
God  leaves  no  spot  of  Earth  unglorified; 
Profuse  and  wasteful,  lovelinesses  rise; 
New  beauties  dawn  before  the  old  have  died. 

—  T.  W.  Higginson. 

Deciding  that  nothing  could  possibly  give  such 
solid  satisfaction  as  a  long  sojourn  amid  glorious 
scenes,  far  from  the  world's  turmoil  and  cares,  the 
Septet  finally  located,  and,  proceeded  to  perambu- 
late: to  scour  and  study  geologically,  geographically, 
gesticulatorily,  gustatorially.  Thus,  in  course  of 
time,  longings  were  sat'isfied, — ■  desires  which  had  been 
treasured  like  misers  hoard,  awaiting  just  the  exact 
and  proper  moment  for  fulfillment.  Mounting  from 
prosaic  and  rather  commonplace  way  stations  what 
satisfying  Paradisaic  scenes  burst  upon  the  view! 
Snow-peaks,  stupendous  heights,  emerald  lakes;  and, 
quoting :  — 

How  poor  the  stroke  of  human  hand 
Where  nature's  rudest  touch  is  grand! 

the  Dabbler  threw  down  implements  in  despair,  and 
just  sat  gazing  for  hours ;  entreating  with  finger  on 
lips  and  imploring  eyes,  to  be  left  to  himself  and  in 
silence. 

Although  themselves  rising  superior  to   even  the 


31g       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

thought  of  need  of  imported  guides  and  professional 
climbers,  the  Seven  decided  it  was  appropriate  that 
such  assistants  should  be  at  hand  to  assist  those  more 
timorous  and  less  agile  than  such  experts  as  they 
professed  to  be;  and  then  do  they  not  add  pictur- 
esqueness  to  scenes  and  parties?  The  Scrivener 
seemed  to  be  reminded  of  his  exploits  amid  majestic 
mountains  abroad,  and  put  on  his  thinking  cap  to 
recall  favorite  melodious  signals  which  he  had  heard 
"  amid  those  scenes  so  charming ; "  and  so  favored 
his  friends  with  genuine  *'  ranz  des  vaches,**  or  yodels  ; 
attaching  to  each  a  fluttering  wisp  of  romance  to 
add  interest.  Was  there  not  once  on  a  time  a  youth, 
who,  caught  in  a  small  crevasse,  uttered  one  of  these 
peculiar  calls  (which  are  rendered  with  such  singu- 
lar break  into  falsetto  in  the  high  notes )  and  an  an- 
swering shout  assured  him  of  assistance ;  the  striking 
cadence  showing  him  in  what  Canton  he  was,  and 
that  he  might  soon  learn  the  direction  which  he 
should  follow. 


^ 


m 


-f^ 


oti 


j=r 


La       la      lee      la,         la         la      lee      la, 


fc^ 


S 


-& — I 


.&-r — g=v=iA 


V—G^-^ fc/ 


la      la   lee  la   la,      lul  lul  lee  la,       lul  lul  lee  la, 


5#: 


i 


lul   lul  le   la,   la  le  la  le  lul  lul  la. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 


313 


Then  also  Zerlina  of  Zermatt,  when  her  lover  was 
so  long  absent  "  on  an  ascension  "  (of  remote  and 
dangerous  peaks)  and  she,  evening  after  evening, 
hied  to  their  accustomed  trysting  place,  and  sang  one 
of  their  own  old  folk  songs :  — 

Come,  oh,  my  love,  and  bring  rapture  to  me. 
Canst  thou  rest  far  from  me?    I  die  for  thee! 

How  her  voice  trembled  and  grew  husky  at  the 
thought  of  possibilities ;  but  at  last  afar  in  the  dis- 
tance the  yodel  of  their  Canton  was  heard  in  her 
Benito's  rich  mellow  baritone,  and,  "  like  a  bird  her 
heart  sang  reply." 

i 


m 


t 


n- 


i 


Lul      lul    lul    la        la      la 


la 


la  lee  loo, 


P 


^ 


E 


1 


la 


la 


lee   loo, 


la 


la 


lee   loo. 


m 


lul      lul     lul     la        la      la       la 


m 


^ 


la      lee    loo. 


"m 


s 


la         la      lee     loo      la      loo       loo     loo     loo. 

It  must  have  been  because  "  the  American  Matter- 
horn  "  reminded  him  so  constantly  of  the  wonderful 
Swiss  cone-peak,  that  the  Scrivener  continued  his 
reminiscences,  quoting  from  the  memory  of  travelers' 
notes  in  the  register  of  Hotel  Mont  Cervin. 


314       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

On  the  top  of  the  Gorner  Grat 
This  day  at  noon  we  sat. 
And  the  height  of  our  seat 
Was  ten  thousand  feet. 
Pray,  what  do  you  think  of  that? 

I  must  tell  you  the  Gorner  Grat 

Rises  up  like  a  huge  cocked  hat 

At  the  foot  of  Mont  Rose, 

Surrounded  by  snows. 

And  glaciers,  ice,  and  all  that,  etc. —  also 

Saint  Nicholas  in  days  of  yore, 

A  man,  although  a  saint. 

With  toil  and  traveling  foot-sore 

And  hard  bestead  and  faint. 

Within  an  Alpine  village  sat, 

"  Ach !  weh; »  quoth  he,  "  Ich  bin  sehr  matt!  " 

Lo!  swift  beside  the  holy  man 

A  hostelry  uprose, 

A  rushing  river  by  it  ran. 

Cooled  by  eternal  snows. 

Wait,  wanderer,  where  that  pilgrim  sat, 

Jetst  kann  man  riihen  in  Zermatt ! 

Marvelous  in  cerulean  hue  and  seemingly  trans- 
lucent, this  sky-reaching  cone  shows  at  sunset,  amid 
the  rose  and  amber  glow,  with  deep  olive-bronze  mas- 
ses —  immensely  tall  and  slender  firs  —  filling  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  picture.  The  rugged  giant,  Sir 
Donald,  looms  with  snowy  locks  far  above  the  rocky 
shoulder  of  a  formidable  mass,  down  whose  forest- 
clothed  sides  a  series  of  cascades  gleam;  and  seems 
to  challenge  Cheops  to  come  across  and  compare 
notes  as  to  their  respective  masses  and  heights.  A 
stupendous  torrent  pouring  from  the  sky,  frozen 
at  the  moment  of  greatest  turbulence,  shines,  gleams 
and  awes  the  beholder;  Illecillewaet,  the  musically- 
named    glacier  —  Rushing    Waters,    its    appropriate 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  315 

significance  —  and,  not  far  beyond,  the  wonderful 
Asulkan;  another  congealed  river,  which  the  Indians 
named  for  their  Mountain  Goat;  the  fine  brave 
spirited  creature  which  one  could  imagine  bounding 
and  leaping  among  these  icy  crests,  with  marvelous 
spring  and  motion;  monarch  of  the  wildest  realms, 
now,  alas!  driven  to  inaccessible  fastnesses,  if  not 
quite  exterminated.  Speaking  of  names:  —  the  In- 
corrigible after  their  visit  to  the  famous  Yoho  val- 
ley and  falls,  wondered  if  sailors  were  the  sponsors ; 
being  also  reminded  of  Ha!  ha!  Bay  of  the  Sague- 
nay  River;  and  the  Dabbler  joining  in  the  conversa- 
sion  added :  — "  De  Solis  says  names  were  thus  given 
by  sudden  outcries  or  exclamations  of  sailors,  and 
were  fixed  in  human  speech."  This  erudite  individ- 
ual continued :  —  remarking  that  the  old  story  about 
the  origin  of  the  name  America  has  again  been  re- 
vived because  in  an  atlas  of  1507  a  statement  is 
made  about  the  "  pilot  Americus."  An  old  writing 
in  a  library  of  Paris  proves  the  name  Amerique  —  so 
spelled,  and  pronounced  by  Spaniards,  "  Ah-maree- 
kay,"  belonged  to  a  volcano  on  the  coast,  and  the 
meaning  was  "  big  smoky  mountain."  Vespucci's 
"front  name"  (as  "  Artemas  Ward"  called  it)  was 
Hemerigo,  and  it  was  not  until  fifteen  years  after  the 
first  voyage  of  Columbus  that  his  name  was  Latin- 
ized as  Americus. 

Long  before  149^  an  island  on  the  coast  of  Brazil 
was  known  as  Merica  Island;  and  Marica,  Merca, 
Maricabo,    Itamerca    were    aboriginal    names    along 


316      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

that  coast.  It  cannot  be  disproved  that  when  a 
country  was  named  for  any  person  it  was  the  sur- 
name that  was  used ;  therefore  if  America  was  named 
for  Vespucci,  why  was  it  not  called  Vespuccia? 
At  this  point  though  one  seemed  likely  to  inter- 
rupt, as  he  sang  —  sotto  voce — "Columbia  the  Gem 
of  the  Ocean,"  another  continued  a-propos  des  nom- 
mes,  with  the  statement  that  in  N.  Y.  state  he  had  seen 
Watt  U.  Bett  on  a  blacksmith's  shop ;  and  in  his  na- 
tive village  is  there  not  Haffelfinger  (who  must  be 
shorter  than  Bildad  the  Shuhite)  and  two  wagons 
could  be  seen  about  the  streets  bearing  the  names 
Magin  and  Margerum;  the  Jester  concluding  that 
the  wife  of  the  former  must  be  called  Hitty,  and  the 
latter  (having  a  "  yarby  "  suggestion  about  it)  he 
tho't  that  frau  was  probably  summoned  as  "  Sweet " 
if  the  master  of  the  house  on  returning  from  market 
was  in  good  humor,  if  not,  perhaps  he  dubbed  her 
Oleo! 

The  time  for  departure  was  approaching,  and 
though  the  Irrepressible  (probably  to  hide  sorrow- 
ful feelings)  essayed  some  atrocities  in  warning  the 
others  not  to  be  Laggan  here  or  Asulkan  yonder, 
he  was  summarily  silenced,  while  the  Scrivener,  emu- 
lating "  Silas  Wegg,"  summed  up  in  rhyme  some 
of  their  experiences. 

On  all  our  transportation  lines  they've  letters  alphabetic, 
Their  definition's  evident,  e'en  without  lore  prophetic. 
For  instance,  yonder  railway  van  I.  C.  so  plainly  states. 
And  throughout  all  the  rolling  stock  it  thus  reiterates. 
The  famous  G.  T.  P.  road,  too,  new  beauties  soon  will  show; 
Go  to  Paradise,  it's  meaning,  as  you  must  surely  know: 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  317 

Another  railway  line  extends  through  Edward  Seventh's  Do- 
minion, 

Come  Peer  Round,  it  plainly  states, —  at  least  that's  my 
opinion. 

Such  marvels  as  they  offer!    Who'd  resist  such  invitation? 

Or  in  the  Trans.  Cont.  Club  withstand  initiation? 

Now  we,  the  great  Mundivigants,  we  are  the  noted  Ramblers; 

We're  all  well  up  in  learning,  and  are  such  famous  Scramblers. 

Why,  just  to  whet  our  appetites  before  the  morning  meal, 

We  skip  across  a  glacier,  and  ask: — "How  do  you  feel?" 

Then  after  forty  winks  of  a  postprandial  nap. 

We  mount  up  to  Sir  Donald,  and  sit  down  in  his  lap. 

The  noted  Seven  League  Boots   to  us  are  but  a  joke, 

Swiss  guides  are  left  far  in  the  rear;  such  aid  we'd  not  in- 
voke ! 

"  Des  Merry  Cans,"  those  peasants  say, 

"  Ich  kann  nicht  oonterstand, 

Vy  did  dey  tempt  us,  come  avay 
Vrom  our  own  Svisserland  ? " 

Amid  those  heights  so  wondrous  I'm  sure  a  genius  dwells 

Who  lures  one  like  the  mystic  maid  of  whom  the  legend  tells. 

La  Reine  des  Nieges,  I  call  her;  her  influence  is  benign; 

Her  gifts  are  health  and  vigor,  not  like  spirit  of  the  Rhine. 

(In  Deutschland,  of  Rhine  vintage  the  traveler  may  quaff, 

Here,  draughts  of  ozone  one  imbibes,  with  an  exultant  laugh!) 

So  e'en  when  faces  homeward  turn,  long  looks  are  backward 
cast. 

Till  vapors  drop  between,  obliterating  veils  at  last. 

Then  lips  breathe  farewell  tender,  although  wreathed  with  a 
smile. 

And  quote: — "I'll  come  again,  my  love,  tho*  'twere  ten  thou- 
sand mile ! " 

FORWARD. 

When  the  Dabbler  and  the  Scrivener  were  heard 
planning  together  about  further  travels,  their  com- 
panions at  once  decided  that  they  were  ready  to  fol- 
low e'en  to  the  "  utmost  purple  rim  "  of  mountains, 
and  to  traverse  plains  to  the  "  shores  of  the  Western 
sea,"  The  Scrivener,  seemingly  in  sentimental  mood, 
warbled  a  bit  from  an  old  part-song:  "  Flow  to  the 


318       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

West  oh  silent  tide,  the  land  of  love  is  there ;  "  and  the 
Jester  inquired  if  he  expected  there  to  find  "  That 
not  impossible  She,  who  sometime  somewhere  waits 
for  thee."  .  .  .  The  noble  red  man  interested 
the  travelers  deeply  and  they  had  now  followed 
him  all  the  way  along  from  the  Atlantic  coast; 
consequently  a  genuine  Indian  encampment  was 
the  first  attraction  on  their  way  to  Sunset  Land. 
Unlike  representations  of  aboriginal  life  seen  at 
Sportsmen's  shows  and  great  National  Exposi- 
tions, the  Nation's  Ward  was  here  beheld  in 
his  primitive  simplicity  and  pristine  glory.  A  rela- 
tive of  the  Scrivener's  having  been  a  member  of  a 
Government  geological  expedition,^  he  told  how  that 
young  engineer  had  won  the  heart  of  an  aged  chief 
by  giving  him  pills  which  cured  his  aches  and  ails ; 
and  how  he  was  presented  with  a  deer  skin,  orna- 
mented with  singular  signs  and  symbols ;  and  in  such 
occupation  could  they  not  see  some  native  artists  em- 
ployed here.?  Somehow  strangely  familiar  was  th? 
scene,  to  some  of  the  party,  and  the  Dabbler  and  the 
Scrivener,  wondering  "  why,"  were  reminded  of  good 
lithograph  copies  of  an  American  artist's  work,^ 
which  they  had  in  their  own  homes.  Therein  Peau 
Rouge  is  represented  seated  on  a  fur  robe,  with  the 
skin  stretched  on  a  rough  frame  before  him.  Such 
canvas  is  attached  to  the  frame  by  rawhide  thongs; 
and  the  artist  depicts  scenes  from  Indian  life;  the 


1  Under  the  late  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden. 
2 "The  Historian." 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  319 

hunt,  races,  sports,  or  some  festival  of  their  tribe  or 
"  Nation." 

The  Scrivener  again  falling  into  reminiscent  mood 
told  of  meeting,  in  a  Railway  train,  a  noted  archae- 
ologist,^ who  had  lived  many  years  with  the  Zunis, 
and  was  adopted  into  their  tribe.  He  was  en  route 
to  a  meeting  of  one  of  the  oldest  ethnological  so- 
cieties of  this  country,  where  he  was  to  present  his 
companions  and  tell  of  his  life  among  them.  Fine 
specimens  they  were;  bronze,  statuesque,  dignified; 
and  when  their  "  brother  "  had  fulfilled  his  promise  of 
taking  them  to  the  sea,  they  became  a  most  impres- 
sive study ;  their  wonder  and  adoring  awe  being  poet- 
ically expressed  in  gesture  and  words.  On  the  occa- 
sion to  which  he  reverted,  when  such  unusual  fellow- 
travelers  were  presented  (by  their  adopted  brother) 
to  the  Scrivener's  companions,  their  greeting  was  in- 
teresting and  significant.  When  the  name  of  each 
brave  had  been  mentioned  to  the  lady,  he  took  her 
hand,  breathed  upon  it  and  laid  it  upon  his  forehead ; 
thus  signifying  that  their  souls  had  now  met  and 
communed  and  henceforth  they  were  friends.  This 
tribe  presents  one  of  the  highest  types.  That  they 
possess  great  natural  ability,  ingenuity,  and  artistic 
taste,  is  evinced  in  their  native  arts  and  crafts ;  which 
are  passed  on  from  generation  to  generation.  They 
also  have  true  refinement,  sense  of  poetic  apprecia- 
tion and  power  of  expression.  A  friend  of  the  Dab- 
bler's had  lived  long  among  the  Kiowas,  and  engaged 

1  The  late  Mr.  Frank  Gushing. 


320      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

ardently  in  missionary  labors.  They  christened  her 
"  Aim-day-co,"  signifying  "  Turn  this  way ;  "  so  ap- 
propriate to  that  "  missioners "  earnest  endeavors 
to  show  them  the  Way  of  Life. 

Here  followed  long  dissertations  and  discussions 
about  the  origin  of  the  Indian  and  "  were  they  really 
the  aborigines,  the  true  and  original  Americans?  " 
etc.,  but  the  Prime  Mover  here  put  in  an  oar,  propos- 
ing a  detour  to  inspect  Western  logging  methods 
and  scenes;  to  compare  with  those  they  had  wit- 
nessed on  the  Great  Lakes,  and  in  the  East. 

Here  were  the  "  brown  men  of  the  Orient "  ( Ja- 
panese) working  with  the  tall  sons  of  Northern 
States,  and  also  French  Canadians,  as  well  as  sturdy 
Scots,  Swedes,  and  Noinvegians,  the  Jester  dubbing 
them  the  Polyglots  and  Conglomerates.  One  of  the 
French  Canadians  reminded  the  visitors  forcibly  of  a 
man  they  had  seen  among  the  "  habitan "  wharf- 
builders  at  Maria  on  Bay  Chaleur ;  they  being  lumber- 
men in  winter.  He  with  his  pevey  carried  gun-wise, 
strode  by  their  abiding  place,  arrayed '  in  almost 
knee-high  laced  and  hob-nailed  boots,  corduroy 
breeches,  close-woven  jacket,  and  broad  soft  black 
felt  hr.t;  causing  the  Dabbler  to  warble,  as  he 
passed :  — 

In  days  of  old  when  knights  were  bold. 

And  barons  held  their  sway, 
A  warrior  bold  with  spurs  of  gold 

Sang  thus  his  roundelay. 

It  was  a  sorrowful  little  romance  of  the  wilds 
which  they  recalled  on  thus  beholding,  apparently. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  321 

the  counterpart  of  the  "Warrior  Bold."  That 
woodsman  of  far  Eastern  Canada,  had  wooed  and 
won  his  bride  from  a  town  of  some  importance,  by 
having,  it  was  said,  imparted  considerable  misinfor- 
mation regarding  his  status  and  possessions;  and 
when  la  belle  Alouette  found  herself  established  in  a 
tiny  log  cabin  "  away  in  the  back  country "  her 
fine  trousseau  (which  was  said  to  include  at  least  one 
silk  gown !)  proved  decidedly  inappropriate,  and  her 
household  store  unsuitable.  It  was  not  strange  that 
in  course  of  time  there  were  differences  and  discus- 
sions between  the  master  and  mistress  of  the  mansion. 
When  the  Summerers  in  their  drives  passed  this  far 
away  and  forlorn  abode,  they  were  certain  that  the 
silvery  tinkle  emanating  from  the  bell  of  Mme. 
Woodsman's  one  cow,  proved  that  she  had  thus  util- 
ized one  of  her  wedding  presents;  and  when  they 
learned  that  the  eldest  scion  of  the  Woodsman's  flock 
(sHpping  away  "  unbeknownst  ")  had  come  to  tell  the 
good  old  Pere  Gagnon  that  his  mother  was  determined 
to  leave  her  home ;  "  she  could  not  endure  it  any 
longer ;  "  then  who  so  ready  to  accompany  the  boy  on 
his  return,  and,  in  the  guise  of  an  accidental  hap- 
pening-in,  to  convince  the  parents  that,  as  Whittier 
says : — 

Still  in  mutual  sufferance  lies 

The  secret  of  true  living; 
Love  scarce  is  love  that  never  knows 

The  sweetness  of  forgiving. 

This  digression,   on  the  way  to  "  the  bush,"   as 
lumbermen  call  the  great  forests;  and  there  the  vis- 


322       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

itors  were  awed  and  silenced  as  they  beheld  immense 
trees,  true  monarchs  of  the  forest,  laid  prone;  and 
enormous  logs  dragged  by  many  yoke  of  power- 
ful oxen  to  the  "  skid  ways,"  down  which  they  shot 
to    the     water;     sending    up     splendid     fountains. 


BREEZE  OF  NIGHT* 

French  Words  by  P.  Th^olier.  MobIc  by  Alp'd  D'Habk. 


f^ 


1.  My  thoughts  are    ev  -   er      with   that    maid  -  en, 

2.  If     thou  shouldst  see,   oh,    sight    E   -   lys  -   iani 

3.  If      pen   •   sive  -  ly      thou  seest    her    pac  -   ing 


$ 


»»— r 


£ 


That  charm-ing  maid  -  en  whom  I  love, 
My  pen  -  sive  love,  and  hear  her  sighs; 
Thro*  wood  -  ed       glade     or         by       the      shore— 


i 


w 


i^ 


-^ — -r--- 


Her  eyes  so  ra-diant,  so  joy  -  la  -  den, 
As  at  her  win  -  dow,  (beauteous  vi  -  sion  1) 
In      mem-'ry      fixed  be-  yond     ef  -  fac    -    ing. 


$ 


H— J- 


Beara  on  my  path  like  stars  a  -  bove. 
Some  lim  -  pid  drops  might  dim  her  eyes; 
Though  mid    such   scenes   we       meet     no     more. 


i 


m 


Met 


i=it 


Oh,      swift  -  ly       as        the    soar  -  ing     swal  -  low, 
Oh,      then     up  •  on        her    silk  -  en       tress  -  es 
Oh,       tell    her      I        shall    ev  -  er       cher  -  ish 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 


323 


pS 


ESE= 


This     yer    -    y      night     I'd      hie         a  -  way, 
Breathe  flow'r  per  -  fumes,  oh,    breeze    of      night. 
Deep       in       my    heart,  while    life      shall   last, 


i 


^\ 


^ 


# 


^ 


If         I     could    but     his    pin  -  ions       bor   -  row 

And     on      her     lips    lay     my      ca   -  ress    -    es 

Her     im  -  age,    and      it      ne'er  shall    per   -    ish. 


mm 


And  breathe  my 
With  am  -  'rous 
Un    -    like      the 

Chobus. 


love  in 
touch,  so 
ros  -  es 


sweet 
soft 
of 


■  est       lay. 
so        light, 
the       past. 


^ 


S 


My      heart    and      soul,       oh,     breeze 


of      night. 


^m 


Bear      on        thy     wings 


thy      long    flight 


^ 


m 


Un   -  to        ma 

Belle     (sc 

dear 

to 

me!) 

^ — H 

|#-.b?  r    f-sz:^ 

T         ■ 

-0 « — 

-1 \ — 

— ^ — 

"1 

Mi 

fj  —    "1/        ^        V     •  "^ 

1          1 

i 

And  say  "  I       fain would  fol  •  low     theel" 


324.      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


BRISE  DES  NUITS. 

Celle  que  j'aimais  si  rieuse 

A-t-elle  gard^  sa  gaite? 
De  I'avenir,  plus  soucieuse, 

M 'a-t-elle  une  fois  regrett^? 
Rapide  comme  I'hirondelle, 

Cette  nuit  je  voudrais  aller, 
Aller  lui  dire  que  loin  d'elle 

Mon  coeur  ne  peut  se  consoler. 
Envole  —  toi  vers  cette  femme, 

Brise  des  nuits,  brise  des  nuits; 
Avec  mon  coeur,  avec  mon  &me, 

Mois  je  te  suis!  moi  je  te  suis! 

A  sa  fenetre,  si  r^veuse 

Tu  la  vols  verser  quelques  pleurs, 
Dans  sa  chevelure  soyeuse 

Secoue  un  doux  parfum  de  fleurs, 
Sur  ses  l^vres  ou  son  haleine 

Exhale  son  precieus  amour 
Sur  ses  l^vres  qu'elle  ouvre  a  peine 

Brise  des  nuits,  souffle  a  ton  tour  I 
Envole  toi,  etc. 

Si  tu  la  voie  seule  et  pensive 

Segarer  d  I'ombre  des  bois, 
Ou  courir  le  long  de  la  rive 

Qui  nous  ret  sever  taut  de  fois! 
Dis  lui  que  malgre  les  anne^s, 

Son  nom  ne  s'est  point  efface 
De  mon  coeur  on  se  sont  fancds 

T'outes  les  roses  du  pass6 
Envole  toi,  etc. 

Thence  the  huge  trunks  were  propelled  up  another 
steep  incline,  to  the  insatiable  maw  of  the  mill.  As 
the  Septenary  Company  turned  away,  one  said :  "  If 
I  should  be  asked  to  decide  on  our  national  emblems 
I  would  say  the  oak  or  pine,  and  the  Indian  maize 
(which  is  indigenous)  would  be  most  appropriate; 
as  showing  how  we  offer  housing  and  food  to  all 
comers."     At  evening  a  visit  to  the  long  barrack- 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  326 

like  dwelling  of  the  "  shanty  men "  appropriately 
closed  the  day ;  and  there  did  the  hardy  foresters  en- 
tertain the  visitors  with  songs  of  their  native  lands. 
While  Jacques  Bonhomme  rendered  his,  the  Scrivener 
emulating  a  noted  English  actor,  "  went  into  a  cor- 
ner and  flocked  by  himself,"  while  jotting  down  the 
notes  and  putting  the  words  into  English,  to  carry 
away  as  a  souvenir  of  their  visit.  And  behold  that 
same,  is  it  not  hereunto  appended? 

There  was  a  young  man  of  Lahore,  who  said,  "Ma  Cherie,  je 

t'adore!" 
Said  she,  "  Shut  it  yourself ! "     Such  a  mischievous  elf 
Was  that  youth's  Belle  Amie,  of  Lahore. 


DUE  WEST. 

As  the  fiat  was  "  still  onward,"  and  evidently 
the  travelers  were  bound  for  the  very  jump- 
ing-off  place,  the  Septenarians,  as  they  called 
themselves,  now  discussed  the  appropriateness  of 
Summer  Coasting  to  designate  their  aim  and  inclina- 
tion; and  to  while  away  the  tedium  of  some  hours 
(tho'  the  dull  ones  had  been  very  few)  it  was  sug- 
gested that  they  should  again  engage  in  journalistic 
efforts,  as  of  old,  during  a  wet  season  in  N.  S.  It 
must  have  been  thoughts  of  proximity  to  another 
great  ocean  (so  far  from  the  one  they  had  always 
been  accustomed  to)  which  suggested  some  of  the 
rhymes  which  were  then  and  there  inflicted;  and  the 
Dabbler  occupied  himself  in  illustrating  them  with 
the  pin  head  and  spider-legged  figures,  which  he  re- 


326       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 


membered  seeing  a  relative  draw  when  he  was  a  boy. 

So  he  was  silenced  for 
a  while,  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  latest  in- 
spiration. 

As  the  serious  and 
sedate  travelers  had 
been  amusing  them- 
selves along  their  way 
composing  "  Limer- 
icks " —  the  vogue  for 
which  having  revived 
of  late  —  the  Dabbler, 
while  slyly  watching 
the  Scrivener,  "  got 
off  one"  which  he 
handed 


An  Out-door  Oven  in  the  Wilds. 


over  to  that 
person;  seeming  to  think  it  appropriate  to  the  oc- 
casion. 


A  TALE  OF  A  TUB. 

His  name  was  Sin  Chow,  and  he  came  from  Macao, 

An  island  far  over  the  sea. 
Where  the  Chinese  eat  rats,  and  wear  curious  hats. 

Such  guys  you  never  did  see. 

Sin  Chow  was  ambitious  and  thought  times  auspicious 

For  wand'ring  away  from  his  home; 
Said  he:— "Down  the*  Aw-Yub,  I'll  sail  in  my  tub 

And  far,  far  away  I  will  roam ! " 

E'en  the  sober  Chinese  as  he  sailed  o'er  the  seas 

From  shore  gazed  in  wonder  and  awe. 
And  they  actually  laughed  to  see  such  a  craft 

Till  the  land  rang  with  one  loud  "  Haw-haw  I  ** 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  327 

Through  the  famed  Golden-Gate  this  queer  boat  sailed  in  state 

And  Sin  Chow  landed  in  Frisco. 
Said  he,  "  Melican  man,  much  washee  I  can ; 

Shall  business  I  find  here  brisk,  oh  ?  " 

Then  he  opened  a  shop  with  a  flat  roof  on  top, 

On  which  he  aired  the  clothes 
That  were  sent  him  to  wash;  this  he  did  with  great  swosh 

And  sprinkled  them  a-la-mode  hose. 

But,  alack,  and  alas!  it  so  came  to  pass 

That  Sin  Chow  was  not  contented; 
But  for  cat  flesh  he  wished,  all  daintily  dished. 

And  this  longing  made  him  most  demented. 

So  one  dark  rainy  night  this  queer,  luckless  wight 

Arose  from  his  poor  little  bed. 
And  with  step  soft  and  sly  an  old  boot  he  let  fly. 

And  knocked  his  next  neighbor's  cat  dead. 

But  remorse  filled  his  soul  ere  he'd  eaten  the  whole 

Of  the  flesh  he  so  much  desired; 
And  ne'er  could  he  sleep  but  could  just  sob  and  weep 

When  again  to  his  couch  he  retired. 

As  day  followed  day  the  poor  wretch  pined  away. 

And  grim  visions  troubled  his  slumber. 
Of  his  neighbor  in  wrath  who  haunted  his  path. 

Followed  by  cats  without  number. 

So  at  last  in  despair  he'd  have  torn  out  his  hair 

But  'twas  all  tied  up  tight  in  his  queue, 
And  braided  so  snug  that  not  e'en  a  strong  tug 

Could  remove  it,  so  what  could  he  do? 

On  one  very  hot  day  he  wandered  away. 

And  into  a  wilderness  went. 
Where  he  lived  upon  berries  and  sour  choke-cherries. 

And  used  his  tub  for  a  tent. 

The  weather  was  warm,  and  one  day  a  great  storm 

Burst  on  him,  and,  woeful  to  tell, 
Of  him  in  that  place  there  was  left  not  a  trace. 

For  to  him  sad  disaster  befell. 

Now  he'd  lived,  you  see,  just  under  a  tree. 

Which  the  hurricane  twisted  around, 
And  onto  his  pate  it  fell  with  such  weight. 

That  it  drove  him  clean  into  the  ground. 


328       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Tree,  tub,  and  Sin  Chow,  are  all  dust  now. 

But  in  their  place  you  could  spy. 
Should   you   go   there  years   hence,   springing   up   high   from 
thence 

Something  to  prove  if  I  lie. 

For  a  huge  toad-stool  —  which  even  a  fool 

Could  see  from  their  ashes  would  form  — 
There  spreads  itself  wide,  and  under  it  hide 

Poor  trav'lers,  when  caught  in  a  storm. 

Then  followed  the  Irrepressible  —  not  to  be  out- 
done—with his  contribution  to  the  Pacific  Sloper, 
which  he  seemed  to  think  appropriate,  and  as  in  this 
season  (as  in  others)  some  peculiar  news  had  come 
across  this  vasty  deep  (which  they  were  now  ap- 
proaching) the  Jester,  remarking  that  his  informa- 
tion had  been  procured  by  a  combination  of  tele- 
cable-Marconi-epi-ana  and  kilo-gram,  perpetrated. 

FOREIGN  DESPATCHES. 

The  latest  news  from  Kalibampoo, 

Is  that  King  Hitchicampo  lost  his  shoe; 

And  from  morning  till  night  he  caused  greatest  fright 

To  all  his  subjects,  by  raging  and  tearing 

Around  "promiscuous,"  and  awfully  swearing 

That  if  his  big  shoe  was  not  brought  back. 

He'd  hit  right  and  left  with  many  a  whack. 

And  most  of  his  people  should  lose  their  heads, 

So  off  they  scurried  in  fear  to  their  beds. 

But  next  day  peace  was  again  restored. 

Though  King  Hitchicampo  was  awfully  bored 

Because  he  had  nothing  about  which  to  fuss 

Or  stir  his  subjects  all  into  a  muss; 

For  his  shoe  he  found  his  very  own  self. 

Quietly  reposing  upon  a  shelf 

Where  his  youngest  son,  a  mischievous  elf. 

Had  fixed  it  up  as  a  nest  for  a  bat. 

Which  had  been  caught  that  day  by  the  cat 

But  next  week,  too  —  indeed,  'tis  true  what  I  tcU  to  you  — 

That  tremendous  shoe 

Presented  itself  to  the  owner's  view, 

Rigged  up  with  a  sail  like  a  huge  canoe. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  329 

In  which  floated  down  the  river  Tayzoo, 

That  same  "  young  hopeful "  whose  laugh  and  halloo 

Astonished  the  natives  of  Kalibampoo. 

Said  the  King:    "Well,  I  vum!  I  had  best  stay  to  hum. 

Regaling  myself  upon  coffee  with  rum; 

For  such  a  boy  is  beyond  my  control; 

I  couldn't  rule  him  with  a  ten- foot  pole 

And  he  worries  my  life  out,  upon  my  soul ! " 

At  this  point  the  despatches  became  very  vague 

And  as  difficult  to  read  as  the  language  of  the  Hague, 

But  'tis  said  that  all  the  nations  now  await  with  fear 

The   next   authentic   tidings   which    from   'Bampoo   they    shall 

hear. 
As  'tis  feared  that  in  that  distant  realm 
There'll  surely  be  a  war,  which  all  that  land  may  overwhelm. 
And  no  one  knows  what  for ! 

It  must  have  been  a  sort  of  mental  inebriation, 
caused  by  the  charming  scenes  and  dehghtful  cli- 
mate, which  induced  such  imbecilities ;  and  nothing 
but  the  fact  that  they  were  holidaying,  and  the  prin- 
ciple of  "  a  little  nonsense  now  and  then  "  enabled 
the  others  to  endure  such  inflictions.  Scrivener 
gravely  remarked  that  Walter  Parks  had  said :  — 

There  was  an  old  stupid  who  wrote  the  verses  above  that  we 

quote. 
His  want  of  all  sense  was  something  immense. 
Which  made  him  a  person  of  note. 

The  travelers  were  now  proceeding  "  'long  she'  " 
as  Marylanders  say,  stopping  here  and  there  to  visit 
interesting  places.  Now  "  hove  in  sight  "  a  minia- 
ture Land's  End  light ;  there  an  old  hulk,  half  buried 
in  the  sand  —  such  "  a  find  "  for  kodakers !  —  and 
although  minus  all  its  trimmings  and  trappings,  a 
picturesque  bit,  if  a  sorrowful  reminder  that  even 
this  ocean  can  be  lashed  to  fury.     As  the  train  some- 


330      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

times  sped  along  apparently  half  way  up  the  sides 
of  the  Coast  Range,  and  then  again  seemed  to  be 
bent  on  proceeding  directly  on  the  beach,  there  was 
variety  enough  to  spice  and  season  the  journey  to 
suit  the  most  captious.  And  what  could  that  be  yon- 
der?—  a  flock  of  urchins  performing  on  stilts,  and 
some  actually  wading  out  into  the  water?  Oil  der- 
ricks ;  to  be  sure,  and  then  the  travelers  realized  for 
the  first  time  that  the  fodder  of  their  powerful  and 
ponderous  iron  horse  consisted  of  this  same  oil;  and 
therefore  they  had  been  spared  the  annoyance  of 
dust  and  cinders.  The  Irrepressible  told  of  Magin- 
nis,  porter  in  his  father's  place  of  business,  who  had 
been  a  sailor,  and  boasted  of  the  time  when  he  was 
in  the  "  Greasy  Archy  Pellygo,"  and  how  he  had 
cruised  among  the  oils;  and  the  Jester  put  in  a 
query  as  to  whether  fusel,  cod-liver,  linseed,  pe- 
troleum, were  some  of  the  iles  of  the  sick  ladees! 

Now  again  they  were  climbing  the  mountains  evi- 
dently bent,  this  time,  on  surmounting  the  greatest 
heights,  where  enormous  rocky  masses  were  tumbled 
in  wildest  confusion,  a  barren  wild  dreary  region. 
Thence,  by  what  they  called  a  thread-the-needle 
course,  shooting  through  tunnels,  at  last  emerging 
into  wide  and  most  lovely  mountain-bordered  val- 
leys; and  had  they  not,  by  modem  necromancy,  been 
transported  to  Italy  or  Spain?  As  all  were  inter- 
ested in  matters  botanical,  and  many  had  received 
pressed  or  dried  specimens  from  friends  located  or 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  S31 

traveling  in  the  west,  there  was  now  a  craning  of 
necks  and  bobbing  of  heads  to  see  what  they  could 
recognize  of  semi-tropical  growths  —  the  eucalyptus, 
the  pepper  tree,  the  camphor;  besides  palms,  cacti, 
sage-brush,  alfalfa.  One  erudite  member  of  the 
party  enlightened  them  with  some  bits  and  facts,  i,  e. 
that  by  means  of  the  eucalyptus,  monks  of  the  strict- 
est order  of  the  Romish  church  have  conquered  the 
malaria  which  was  the  greatest  foe  of  the  Campagna 
at  Rome,  as  well  as  of  many  other  districts.  The 
pepper  tree,  so  very  effective  with  its  long  clusters  of 
red  berries,  and  feathery  fern-like  foliage  is  a  na- 
tive of  Peru,  and  that  alfalfa  is  an  antiquity,  having 
been  brought  from  Media  into  Persia  in  the  time  of 
Darius,  and  afterwards  into  Greece  and  Italy.  It 
was  called  "  Medica  "  by  the  Persians,  "  lucerne " 
by  the  Italians,  and  its  present  title  was  its  Arabian 
name.  An  ancient  agriculturist  —  Amphilocus  of 
Athens  —  devoted  almost  an  entire  book  of  his  to  the 
subject  of  the  culture  of  this  very  valuable  fodder, 
and  Roman  writers  were  also  enthusiastic  on  the  sub- 
ject. Another  ancient  writer  Varro,  said  that  "  wheat, 
properly  stored  in  dry  soil  will  keep  for  50  years, 
and  millet  for  one  hundred  years."  ^  It  seems  the 
silo  was  evidently  an  oriental  invention,  which  "  be- 
fore   the    Augustan    age,    made    its    way    westward 


1  In  November,  1907,  an  elk's  head,  perfectly  preserved  and 
with  horns  intact,  was  found  eighteen  feet  below  the  surface 
of  the  earth  on  the  Mesaba  range  near  New  Duluth.  It  had 
probably  been  there  for  centuries.  The  soil  above  it  was  sand 
and  gravel. 


S32      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

through  Bactria,  Pontus,  Thrace  to  Egypt,  Greece, 
Italy  and  Spain."  The  people  of  Pontus  called  it 
siri. 

Anent  the  cactus  the  travelers  learned  that  Bur- 
bank — -Plant  Magician!  —  has  developed  a  thorn- 
less  species,  which  can  be  used  for  food,  prepared 
in  similar  manner  to  egg-plant,  and  a  thorough  test 
is  to  be  made.  As  "  the  commercial  value  of  one 
leaf  at  the  present  time  is  $500.00,  that  is  pretty 
good  proof  that  agriculturists  realize  its  probable 
future  importance ;  ^  and  prominent  members  of  the 
medical  profession  assert  that  this  cactus  combined 
with  celery  and  nuts  will  form  a  diet  which  contains 
everything  which  is  needed  to  enable  a  man  to  work 
eighteen  hours  a  day."  This  last  statement  might 
cause  those  who  have  been  ordered  away  for  rest  to 
sigh  or  groan;  for  now-a-days  there's  wireless  teleg- 
raphy, to  "  catch  you  if  you  don't  watch  out,"  any- 
where, and  one  cannot  get  away  from  business,  cares, 
worries,  or  even  news,  much  as  they  might  wish  to  be 
— "  the  world  forgetting,  by  the  world  forgot." 

A  distinguished  scientist  of  Germany  ^  has  made  a 
special  study  of  arid  regions,  and  having  recently 
returned  from  the  Southwest,  asserts  that  the  people 
of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  are  singularly  ob- 
tuse, and  unaware  of  their  opportunities  for  "  mak- 
ing millions  of  dollars  every  year,"  from  growing 
olives,   figs    and    dates.     The   chemlali,   or   dry-land 


1  Wheat    has    been    grown    from    seed    found    in    Egyptian 
mummy  cases. 
a  Dr.  Karl  von  Holburg. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  333 

olive,  from  northern  Africa,  makes  the  best  olive  oil; 
and  that  tree  would  readily  grow  in  these  regions. 
The  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  has  a  station 
in  the  Colorado  desert,  where  the  finest  Arabian  figs 
and  dates  are  grown. 

The  dust  —  fine  powdery  red  and  yellow  —  perme- 
ated everywhere,  and  the  travelers  realized  that  the 
use  of  petroleum  in  sprinkling  roads,  is  of  very  great 
importance;  though  they  were  reminded  of  an  anon- 
ymous quatrain  from  a  "  Nonsense  Anthology :  " — 

Oh  I  to  be  wafted  away 
From  this  dark  Aceldama  of  sorrow. 
Where  the  dust  of  an  earthly  to-day 
Makes  the  earth  of  a  dusty  to-morrow. 

In  the  Capitol  at  Denver  there  is  a  very  fine  com- 
plete and  extremely  interesting  as  well  as  beautiful 
collection  of  minerals  —  which  was  loaned  to  the 
Lewis  &  Clarke  Exposition  at  Portland,  Ore.:  —  and 
in  many  places  frequented  by  tourists  excellent  speci- 
mens can  be  seen.  In  the  shops  and  bazaars  great 
display  is  made  of  so-called  "  native  gems,"  which 
are  exhibited  in  most  "  fetching "  manner,  weighed 
and  sold  "  by  the  carat,"  to  impress  the  visitor ;  but 
these  are  all  spurious,  and  are  made  of  a  German 
composition  called  strass.  One  of  the  party  testified, 
en  passant,  that  there  is  one  place  in  Denver  where 
fine  and  genuine  specimens  can  be  procured  (the  name 
has  pleasant  tintinnabulation  to  the  ear)  and  that  in 
Maine  beautiful  tourmalines  are  found:  he  had  ex- 
amined one  which  had  been  cut  by  an  artist  friend 
when  sojourning  there. 


334       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

As  souvenir  of  a  visit  to  the  West  several  years 
before,  the  Scrivener  had  brought  a  beautiful  speci- 
men of  the  Indian  Swastika;  which  has  recently 
been  introduced  and  placed  on  sale  in  the  large  cities 
of  the  East.  Those  made  by  Navajos,  from  U.  S. 
silver  coins,  are  interesting.  The  one  above  men- 
tioned is  of  gold,  and  has  tiny  splints  or  sparks  of 
rock  crystal  set  into  the  arms,  and  in  the  centre  a 
topaz,  representing  the  Polar  star,  thus  making  the 
ornament  correct  and  complete,  according  to  the 
Indian's  idea.  The  arms  were  intended  to  symbolize 
the  four  seasons,  and  good  fortune  was  supposed  to 
attend  the  possessor  of  the  emblem.  "  Four  times 
during  the  year,  at  midnight,  can  be  seen  the  sign, 
which,  since  before  Christ,  has  been  the  symbol  of  so 
many  races.  The  Polar  Star  is  the  center,  and  the 
constellation  Ursa  Major,  forming  the  arms  or 
branches,  completes  the  Swastika."  It  is  the  oldest 
known  form  of  cross.  In  a  modem  novel  by  an 
English  writer  (born  in  India)  one  illustration  repre- 
sents a  lama,  seated  Buddha-fashion,  holding  a  bowl, 
which  has  this  symbol  for  ornament  on  the  front. 
The  Smithsonian  Institute,  Washington,  issued  a  cir- 
cular regarding  this  very  ancient  and  interesting  em- 
blem. 

Allusion  to  matters  Buddhistic,  reminded  one  mem- 
ber of  the  party  that  long  since  in  some  unfre- 
quented spot  in  England,  he  had  made  a  drawing 
from  a  bit  of  carving  —  probably  taken  from  some 
"  motif  "  of  India  —  in  which  the  "  key-wards  "  of 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS 

SWASTIKA. 


335 


England ;   original   in 
India,  probably. 


From   ruins   of  Mitla, 
Mexico. 


the  "  Greek  fret  "  were  turned  diagonally ;  and,  when 
visiting  the  wonderful  ruins  of  Mitla,  in  Mexico,  was 
struck  dumb  at  beholding  the  same  pattern,  elabo- 
rated, in  the  Hall  of  Mosaics. 


336       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

A  well  known  public  lecturer  ^  presents  admirable 
views  of  these  ruins;  also  some  of  decidedly  Grecian 
character  in  Northern  Africa,  and  a  Professor  of  the 
University  of  California  has  studied  the  amazing  ruins 
of  Mexico,  Honduras,  Yucatan;  and  under  title 
"  The  Buddhist  Discovery  of  America,  One  Thousand 
Years  before  Columbus  "  states  opinions  and  gives 
illustrations  from  photographs  (which  cannot  lie) 
causing  the  reader  to  lose  himself  in  mazes  of  won- 
der and  speculation. 

In  the  Spring  of  1907  at  a  meeting  of  the  Ameri- 
can Oriental  Society  a  Professor  of  Princeton  Uni- 
versity in  an  article  on  "  The  Romany  Jargon  of 
the  American  Roads "  showed  that  "  our  gipsies 
still  retain  in  their  language  300  verbs  that  are  pure 
Hindoo.  Their  numerals,  two  up  to  ten  are  Hin- 
doo." At  that  time  also  a  Professor  of  Harvard 
was  deputed  to  finish  the  work  of  another  ethnolo- 
gist—  who  had  left  a  substantial  sum  for  the  pur- 
pose —  in  translating  Buddhaghosa's  treatise  on 
Buddhism,  entitled  The  Way  of  Purity.  Buddha- 
ghosa  was  bom  in  the  very  heart  of  the  holy  land 
of  Buddha  in  Burmah,  and  "  traveled  considerably," 
disseminating  his  ideas,  spreading  the  teachings  of 
his  god,  whose  works  he  translated  into  Cingalese 
when  in  Ceylon. 

Among  the  Indians  which  were  to  be  seen  by  the 
sojourners,  some  of  Mexican  and  other  tribes  pre- 
sented types  unlike  the  Northern  ones,  many  being 


1  Elmendorf. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  831 

quite  striking,  with  fine  features  and  distinguished 
carriage;  several  women  particularly  noticeable  and 
really  beautiful.  The  curator  of  Archaeology  of 
the  University  of  Penna.  has  during  this  year  1907 
made  extensive  and  perilous  travels  in  the  far  North 
West;  starting  from  Dawson,  Alaska.  A  hitherto 
entirely  unknown  tribe  of  Indians  was  discovered  in 
the  valley  of  Kuskokwin  River.  They  have  been 
christened  Kusko  Kwaga  Mutes ;  are  "  of  much 
higher  mentality  than  the  Esquimaux,"  and  "  they 
alone  of  all  tribes  north  of  Mexico  and  Southern 
California  possess  the  art  of  pottery  making."  The 
Summer  School  were  beginning  to  feel  quite  learned 
as  result  of  their  investigations  and  studies,  and 
when  the  chief  of  the  Inquiry  Committee  —  as  they 
dubbed  him  —  informed  them  that  the  "  Results  of 
the  Jesup  Expedition"  (of  which  D.  T.  French 
wrote)  show  that  the  "  Asiatic  Peoples  came  origin- 
ally from  this  Continent  "  they  were  deeply  impressed, 
and  in  fact  struck  dumb. 

Many  theories  have  been  promulgated  among  sci- 
entists; a  favorite  one  being  that  the  Indian  came 
here  from  Asia  by  way  of  the  Aleutian  Islands;  but 
even  some  who  adhered  to  that  formerly,  have,  since 
results  of  the  Expedition  were  made  known,  publicly 
proclaimed  their  recantation.  One  thus  stated :  — "  I 
believe  that  the  material  which  has  been  brought  to- 
gether will  permit  a  demonstration  to  be  made  of  this 
emigration,  not  from  Asia  to  America,  but  from 
America  to  Asia,  and  to  the  Southern  islands  in  the 


338      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

Pacific;  and  the  establishment  of  the  American  con- 
tinent, not  as  the  source  of  an  arid  and  sterile  culture, 
as  it  is  sometimes  characterized,  but  of  living  vital 
force,  which  has  gone  out  into  the  Old  World,  and 
has  affected  the  cultures  of  historic  peoples  with 
whom  we  are  acquainted."  The  President  of  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  spent  a  very 
great  sum  of  money  in  sending  out  this  expedition: 
they  devoted  seven  years  to  their  investigations,  and 
the  results  are  to  be  published  in  twelve  volumes  "  em- 
bodying the  first  comprehensive  treatment  of  the 
problem  of  how  the  Red  Man  came  here  and  where 
he  probably  came  from." 

The  seeker  after  Romance  now  brought  out  an 
Alaskan  legend,  which  it  is  said  the  tribes  of  the  Far 
North  still  implicitly  believe;  and  as  it  seemed  to 
have  been  suitably  prefaced  by  the  foregoing  studies 
and  researches  of  the  party,  they  appeared  to  be  re- 
signed to  listen  to  the  story  of 

THE  BANISHED  PRINCE. 

Many  centuries  ago  a  Prince  of  the  Island  King- 
dom —  which  proudly  acknowledges  and  bows  most 
humbly  though  gracefully  to  the  Mikado's  sway  and 
behests  —  although  a  most  popular  personage  and 
leader  of  the  guilded  youth  in  Court  circles,  ap- 
peared to  have  incurred  Royal  displeasure,  and  was 
accused  of  having  committed  some  grave  misde- 
meanor.    It  was  supposed  that  some  high  officials. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  339 

jealous  of  the  fascinating  youth's  popularity,  were 
probably  instrumental  in  fostering  their  Supreme 
Ruler's  suspicions  and  dissatisfaction  and  had,  prob- 
ably, magnified  to  Emperonic  (though  not  to  Empy- 
ronic)  ears  the  youth's  fault,  if  it  was  so  great  as 
it  had  been  represented.  The  popular  young  scion 
of  Lofty  Estate  had  given  orders  for  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  great  pleasure  boat,  a  wonderfully  con- 
structed and  admirably  ornamented  vessel.  It  was 
somewhat  suggestive  of  a  viking's  seacraft,  thrust- 
ing the  eagle-like  and  gigantic  beak  of  its  lofty  prow 
haughtily  forward,  as  if  in  scorn  of  possible  buf- 
eting  waves ;  and  yet  it  was  otherwise  built  after  the 
fashion  of  a  huge  canoe,  and  was  to  be  manned  like 
unto  the  classic  Trireme,  though  with  not  so  great  a 
number  of  sturdy  oarsmen.  As  His  Serenity  had  fre- 
quently invited  his  noble  associates  to  join  him  in 
nautical  diversions  they  were  nothing  loath  when  bid- 
den to  try  an  excursion  in  the  superb  new  craft ;  and 
so  many  of  the  most  beautiful  women  and  gallant  men 
of  the  Mikado's  domain  embarked,  with  gleeful  an- 
ticipations. The  "  God  of  the  Deep  "  seemed  to  be 
in  most  auspicious  mood,  so  the  delightful  company 
in  the  charmingly  caparisoned  craft  appeared  quite 
willing  to  "  sail  away  for  a  year  and  a  day  "  as 
they  glided  serenely  over  quiet  waters  and  under  clear 
and  brilliant  skies,  taking  no  note  of  time ;  until  into 
the  mind  of  one  came  the  thought  that  possibly  home 
friends  might  be  growing  solicitous  at  their  long  ab- 
sence.    The    Leader    was    politely    hinted    at,    and 


340       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

finally  questioned,  if  it  would  not  be  best  for  their 
prow  to  be  turned  homeward;  and  then  the  amaze- 
ment of  the  voyag^ers  was  extreme  at  his  reply :  — 
"  Homeland,  never  again  shall  we  see,  my  compan- 
ions! By  means  of  cruel  intrigue,  and  wicked  de- 
cree, I  am  banished;  and  I  resolved  to  choose  from 
the  flower  of  the  Kingdom  for  companions  in  my 
exile.  We  are  bound  to  a  new  and  far  distant  land, 
and  there  shall  find  a  country  and  found  a  race 
mightier  than  that  of  our  lost  realm."  All  were 
overwhelmed  at  first,  at  this  news,  and  the  women 
were  loud  in  their  lamentations;  but  the  men  seemed 
stirred  by  the  spirit  of  adventure,  and,  prompted  by 
their  native  "  bushido  "  (chivalry)  they  soothed  the 
weeping  ones,  encouraged  the  disheartened,  assuring 
them  that  they  would  find  happiness  and  wealth  in  the 
new  country.  At  last  the  star  of  Hope  shone  out, 
anticipation  ousted  desolation,  auspicious  conditions 
continued  uninterrupted,  and  one  day  the  great  boat 
gently  slid  to  rest  on  the  white  sand  of  the  unknown 
country  —  Alaska.  In  course  of  time  the  region  was 
peopled  by  the  Prince  and  his  noble  company  from 
the  Orient ;  and  exploring  parties  were  sent  down  the 
coast  who  formed  colonies  on  the  shore  of  the  South- 
em  country.  Then,  the  natives  of  Alaska  will  tell 
you,  a  great  tribe  from  the  interior  appeared  and 
fought  the  Princely  colonizers,  but  the  Great  Spirit 
turned  the  contestants  into  stone;  and  to  this  day 
the  Alaskan  aborigines  point  out  singular  boulders 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  341 

and  rocks,  which  they  say  are  the  petrified  combat- 
ants. 

In  an  article  published  in  1905  there  are  extremely 
interesting  illustrations  (from  photographs)  of  In- 
dian men  and  women  in  Japanese  costumes  and  Jap- 
anese men  and  women  in  Indian  costumes,  and  so 
much  alike  are  they,  that  one  could  not  tell  which  was 
which,  if  titles  were  not  given  below. 

A  long  time  resident  of  Santa  Catalina  Island  has  a 
remarkable  collection  of  Indian  curios  and  relics; 
skulls,  stone  implements  —  mortars  and  pestles,  etc., 
—  which  were  found  on  the  Island. 

From  a  relative  long  resident  in  South  Amer- 
ica, the  Prime  Mover  had  learned  some  legends  of 
the  Indians  of  that  country,  and  also  obtained  the  in- 
formation that  similar  myths  are  current  among 
Mexican  and  Central  American  tribes.  One  is  the 
peculiar  tale  of 

CUEUPIEA. 

He  was  a  little  brown  man  whose  feet  turn  back- 
ward, so  that  one  attempting  to  run  from  him  is 
lured  to  certain  destruction,  as  he  kills  and  eats  his 
victims.  An  Indian  fell  asleep  at  the  root  of  a  tree 
and  the  Curupira  wakened  him,  asking  why  he  was 
there;  the  Indian  said  he  had  lost  his  way.  The 
Curupira  demanded  a  piece  of  his  heart  to  eat,  and 
as  the  Indian  had  killed  a  monkey  while  hunting 
he  gave  him  a  piece  of  the  creature's  heart,  which  the 


342       TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

monster  devoured  and  asked  for  more.  The  Indian 
gave  it  and  then  asked  for  a  piece  of  Curupira's 
heart,  and  he  supposing  that  the  Indian  had  taken 
out  his  own  heart  without  suffering  injury  under- 
took to  do  the  same  and  fell  dead.  The  Indian  fled 
but  after  a  year  returned  (thinking  those  teeth  would 
make  a  fine  necklace)  found  the  Curupira,  shook 
him  and  the  Curupira  awoke  and  thanked  the  Indian 
for  waking  him  saying  he  had  had  a  good  long  sleep. 
Then  he  gave  the  Indian  a  magic  arrow,  so  he  should 
be  able  to  kill  any  animal  at  which  he  aimed,  but 
must  never  tell  whence  he  procured  it.  He  became 
a  famous  hunter  and  after  a  long  time  his  wife  per- 
suaded him  to  tell  her  about  the  arrow;  he  did  so, 
and  thereupon  fell  dead.  Another  story  is  of 
Nixie-nature,  regarding 

YABA. 

She  was  a  water-witch  who  lured  young  men  by 
her  marvelous  singing.  After  seeing  her  the  youth 
would  become  melancholy  and  would  haunt  the  river 
mouth  day  and  night  where  he  had  first  beheld  her. 
His  friends  and  people  would  remonstrate  with  and 
warn  him  of  the  enchantress  "  whose  smile  is  death ; " 
but  the  youth,  be  he  chief  or  simple  Indian  would 
not  listen ;  he  would  go  to  the  river.  There  the  beau- 
tiful being  would  appear  and  as  he  rushed  to  embrace 
her  the  waters  would  divide,  and  the  two  would  dis- 
appear. 


ACROSS  THE  PLAINS  343 

Then  there  is  a  love  charm,  in  vogue  among  In- 
dians of  Brazil  to  this  day.  Those  unhappy  in  love, 
sought  a  dusky  Seeress,  and  she  gave  them  the  "  bath 
of  fortune."  For  this  the  leaves  of  various  cala- 
diums  and  roots  of  "  priprioca "  were  thrown  in 
water;  the  love-lorn  one  threw  this  over  the  head 
thrice,  the  arms  crossed  meanwhile  as  if  embracing 
the  beloved  one.  Then  the  old  woman  chanted  an 
invocation  to  the  Wind  — "  Wind  that  blows  across 
this  world,  if  thou  meet  my  beloved  thou  shalt  give 
her  three  blows  in  the  heart  that  she  may  think  only  of 
me  and  come  to  speak  to  me.  Wind  bring  me  her 
thought  and  her  body  that  she  may  have  no  rest  till 
she  sees  me.  Thou  beloved  one,  thou  goest,  thou 
comest,  thou  shalt  cry  after  me!  Heart  I  break 
thee;  blood  I  drink  thee;  thought,  I  hold  thee;  if 
thou  art  with  another,  he  will  detest  thee,  he  will  be- 
come obnoxious  to  thee,  as  the  scum  of  the  river- 
bank;  and  I,  beloved  one,  I  will  become  to  thee  a 
diamond,  clear  as  the  sun,  beautiful  as  the  moon, 
bright  as  the  stars.  Wind,  if  this  prayer  is  granted 
me  let  the  beloved  show  herself." 

Still  gazing  towards  the  gates  of  Sowanna,  the 
"  wigwam  of  Sunset,"  as  they  listened  to  these  tales 
and  thought  of  friends  engaged  in  religious  and 
scholastic  work  beyond  this  ocean,  the  Septet  recalled 
some  of  the  instruction  received  from  a  former  mem- 
ber of  the  Summer  School  who  had  often,  as  an  offi- 
cial of  U.  S.  Navy,  visited  the  Island  Kingdom. 
They  felt,  as  thought  spanned  the  wide  distance,  that 


344      TRANSCONTINENTAL  SKETCHES 

those  far  away  friends  must  know  that  they  were 
wafting  across  the  pretty  Japanese  salutation:  — 
"  Ohayo  gozaimasu."  Now  they  must  turn  their 
faces  Eastward  again,  and  as  they  reaUzed  the  "  mag- 
nificent distances  "  they  had  traversed,  and  thought 
of  the  vast  extent  of  country  intervening  between 
home  and  friends,  one  was  reminded  of  a  httle  verse 
in  a  foreign  guest  book :  — 

As  far  and  wide  our  footsteps  roam. 

Thy  mighty  works  to  see, 
When  farthest  from  our  earthly  home, 

Lord,  keep  us  close  to  Thee  I 


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